Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Biomass
by lycan.nick
Summary: T:LV, post-game. Complete. Alex and his allies have realized that they want life to calm down. But what is a normal life for such people as Alex and his allies? One-shots planned, to clear up remaining plot holes.
1. We Don't Need Another Hero

A/N: This fic makes lots of potentially obscure references to things in RL. I've already written a few more chapters, and I can say that there's going to be plenty of funny references. I don't own anything I reference. I know Alex is a bit OOC, I'll be rewriting this and stuff soon once I finish Chapter 5. (which should be within the next few days)

References this chapter:

A bit of Latin and unprotected birdfeeders + squirrels. Gets better later, though. Title is a reference to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", from the American Declaration of Independence. Chapter name is the name of a song that I was reminded of when I wrote this. Heh.

[1]

Exhausted, I sat down. Killing and consuming infected was a thankless task, and though most of the time I had no problem, I was growing tired. Tired of the crimson skies and the creeping vines of the infection. The infected refused to give up, even with its head metaphorically cut off. Ordinarily, I wouldn't sit down in front of a military base and rest, but it was convenient. A concrete wall, no infected in sight.

Naturally, the virus detectors went off. A few supersoldiers came out and pointed at me. One came up and kicked me over. I let him and just got back into a sitting position. The ground-based virus detectors were shut off after a while, though a UAV kept its eye staring at me, blinking red. The soldiers left after a few minutes, and I let myself uncoil and relax. I fell asleep after a few more minutes.

For once in my existence thus far, I had a good dream. I dreamt of a normal life. Me and Dana, on a road trip. A few memories from other people resurfaced, reminding me that I had already experienced all those places through other people.

Something poked me. I woke up from my nap, and the thing poked me again. "Leave me FUCKING alone!" A Blackwatch soldier was poking me with the end of his rifle. He radioed to base about making contact, and then shut it off. I could tell from his movements that he was afraid, but he sat down next to me and started to talk.

"I- I wanna ask you s- something." Pause. "A- Actually… my superiors want me to ask you something, but they're too ch- chicken to come out and ask you in person."

I replied with an ambiguous grunt. "Figures." The soldier was easing up, the spasms from his fear fading in intensity.

"Uh… Well, you survived a nuke. The brass wants to know how you did it." The UAV was replaced by another one. I took note.

"Well, if you really want to know, I strapped that nuke on a helicopter, flew it out to sea, dropped it, and then it exploded while I was flying back to Manhattan. It took out the copter and reduced me to biomass. As for why I'm still here, a crow decided to try and eat my biomass. I reacted and consumed it, restoring a bit of my strength and allowing me to recover to what I am now." I was surprised at myself. I had just spilled the beans on my own survival, and I was… glad.

The soldier looked at me and frowned. "Well, the brass also wanted me to ask you whether you'd be willing to help out with clearing the last infected off the island… Seems the new general wants to ignore your past transgressions and focus on the more pressing issue."

"Tch. I bet they want me as a pet afterwards. You know, scare some squirrels away from bird feeders in their backyard or something. Executives always have weird habits, you know. Colonel Taggart apparently used to air guitar in the shower… Don't ask how I know."

"Wow. I heard he was weird, but not that weird. I'm sure I wouldn't be too freaked out by how you know, though." The soldier no longer had any sign of fear. Either he was completely freaked out by such close contact with a killer, or he was honestly enjoying the conversation.

"Well, you'll be freaked out." I paused a short moment, while I prepared myself to spoil the fun. "You know how I can consume people, right?" The soldier nodded. "Well, when I consume people, I take in… everything about them. Completely. Everything becomes part of me, memories, habits, appearance, skills. That's how I learned how to drive a tank and fly a helicopter, from people I consumed. Just now, when I was taking a nap, I was dreaming of taking a road trip, and I saw memories from people I've consumed about places they've gone. Grand Canyon, Yosemite, everything."

A long silence presented itself. Behind the mask, I could tell fear had returned to the soldier, and I didn't blame him. I continued, "I might not be human myself, but I've got a feeling for how people are. How many people have I consumed to date? A hundred? A thousand? I don't even know anymore."

Another UAV swooped down and blinked its red eye at me. In a quavering voice, the soldier tried to introduce himself. "Well… I- I'm Nathan, uh…, Charus. The guys c-call me Cherry." Nathan looked like a two-pound Chihuahua scared totally shitless. He got up and leaned against the wall in an unsuccessful attempt to look relaxed.

I turned on my infected vision, and I looked at Nathan. He wasn't the patchy blue and purple that most humans were, but a mix of reds and oranges. He was infected, but didn't carry the symptoms. I decided to bring it up.

"Well, your higher-ups probably don't know this, but I can tell if someone's infected or not. If I'm not reading it wrong, you're infected, but you seem to have some immunity against it. I'd offer my condolences, but I don't have much to offer except death or directions to the nearest Hive." I tried to make my voice sound joking, but it came out forced and unnatural. The voices in my head laughed. "Okay, screw that. I'm not gonna kill you. No reason to do it anyways, and I'll bet you twenty bucks that your superiors have already bet against your survival."

Nathan sat back down, a bit less frightened, but shaken. "You can tell if people are infected? And you're saying that I'm infected, but I've got an immunity?" He shook his head. "Damn, this is gonna be one hard report to write later." We sat there silently for fifteen minutes. Another soldier came out and handed Nathan a clip for his rifle. He muttered something about being careful, then left, leaving Nathan and I against the wall of the base.

"Ya know, Mercer, I was thinking about something. You don't have to keep running. I was thinking about your situation, and I gotta say, I would not want to be you right now, even if I could kill pretty much anything with ease. Deer in headlights, right? Tell me, Mercer, are you happy?"

I almost lost it then. Happy? How could I ever define myself as happy or caring? I was a monster, bent on killing everything in my way and keeping myself alive. Everything else was secondary.

"Happy about what? Killing Elizabeth Greene? You jarheads coming this close-" I held my fingers a half inch apart. "-to nuking Manhattan, just to clear out the infection? Blackwatch almost beat al-Qaeda at their own game." I felt my biomass starting to prepare my body for combat, but I forced myself to stay calm. Deep breaths and relax. I wasn't ready for Nathan's next question.

"I heard about your sister. She's supposed to be out cold, right?"

I lost control over myself then. I sprang to my feet and grabbed Nathan off the ground. I didn't throttle him by the throat, but I still suppressed my first instinct to slam his face into the concrete wall. He squeaked out a weak plea. "Please! Don't kill me!"

After the voices in my head died down, I dropped the helpless soldier. "How the fuck would you understand Dana's situation? I checked a hundred times to make sure she wasn't infected, and she wasn't. Yet Greene's words implied that Dana was FUCKING infected!"

Nathan was silent. I sat back down and stared up at the sky. Blood red. The infected were close by, and I could already hear their thoughts through the hive mind.

"Get up, Nathan, and ready your gun. I'm not resting easy until the infected are dead and gone, starting with the ones right down the street." I left Nathan in my dust, morphing my right arm into the blade that I had grown accustomed to.

Attack. Slash. Slice. Hit-hit-hit-hit-hit. I felt blood on the sharp edges of my blade-arm, and it felt good. I let the blood frenzy in me boil over and produced the tendrils that I wanted. Another hundred infected, all skewered by serrated tentacles. I was alive and taking life away from others. Like many times before, that was all that mattered.

I heard a yell. Nathan was being grappled by a Hunter. I felt like watching him die, but then I realized that he had treated me as more than a monster. I struggled with the voices in my head on what to do.

_Let him die._

_Watch his blood spray all over the street._

_Hear him scream._

_Life is fleeting. Memento mori._

Carpe diem. I wasn't bound to an oblivious life like others, not anymore. Nathan was an opportunity for my own redemption. I charged ahead and ignored the voices, slashing down the Hunter and using tendrils from my back to set Nathan down gently on the ground. He felt light, no more than 180 pounds. The 600-pound behemoth before me stood holding its hands between us, trying to keep me at bay. No luck.

It fell victim to consumption. Nathan watched as the tendrils that had saved his life quickly took the life of another, much stronger creature. The Hunter fell backwards, dead, as I kicked its dying body and stomped on its face. It grumbled and died.

A couple minutes later, the entire horde of infected lay dead or dying on the street. I went around, consuming the more resilient who refused to die quietly. Nathan put a bullet between the eyes of any that had their eyes open. By the time he had finished his job, I was already sitting back at the base, being watched by the ever-present UAVs. It blinked its red eye at me again. Nathan hadn't the slightest bit of fear left in him.

In infected vision, I could see the virus starting to react to the adrenaline his body had released, and Nathan grew from red and orange to bright yellow and white. I quickly switched back to normal vision, and I saw Nathan's body physically changing as well. Had I accidentally stabbed Nathan when I was rescuing him from the Hunter? There was no hole in his vest, no blood stain, yet Nathan's hands had turned into claws. He looked at me.

"What the fuck?"

[/1]

A/N: Okay. Jumped straight into the plot there. Nate's BG story is coming after Chapter 5. I'll probably do a giant flashback chapter.

I can't draw people for beans, so I likely won't be drawing Alex & Nate anytime soon. If you wanna try your hand at drawing them, go ahead! I wanna know how it turns out, m'kay?

A little bio on Nate for the artists:

Cpl. Nathan Charus, 27 years old. Birthdate 27 Oct 1981.

6 years of service, 6 months in Marine Corps, remainder in Blackwatch.

Brown-red hair, hazel eyes. 5'10", appx. 175 lbs. Blood type AB+.

I had Alex cross-reference Nate to a Chihuahua. It's fitting.


	2. Curiosity

A/N: I had a little fun with references this time:

Star Wars. Yeah, I know, it's the most overused line in history other than "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Which is how I feel about anyone who doesn't like my use of the most overused line from the silver screen.

I think I'm gonna get in the habit of using song titles from my huge (80+ GB) library of music for chapter titles. Saves me a little work of trying to come up with a name. Anyone want to try to guess the genre of music I listen to? =P

[2]

The UAV buzzed again, and pointed its red eye at Nathan. He had the same tendrils as my own sprouting from his back, and his clawed hands flexed slightly as he looked at me with desperate-looking eyes. "What the fuck is happening to me?"

I wasn't sure what was happening. All I knew was that Nathan was infected and was able to manipulate the virus somehow. Adrenaline? How did Nathan trigger the virus's sudden change? I couldn't see the fine fog of viral material that represented an infectious host, so Nathan wasn't contagious, at least not for the time being. But how?

The poor, clueless soldier keeled over, writhing in pain as his body somehow morphed into his own version of my armor. I touched him, and tendrils came out of him as if to defend him. Nathan was infected with some variant of BLACKLIGHT, but how did he gain control? Did he have control? I didn't feel anything as I took off, Nathan's body in my arms, towards Ragland's morgue.

* * *

I burst in and greeted Ragland the same way I had before, when I had been injected with the "cure".

"RAGLAND!" My voice stilled the tendrils on Nathan's back, and I set him down on the hard metal slab. No guts, no glory. Nathan couldn't wait for Ragland to arrive. I quickly set my own tendrils into Nathan's shoulders, groping around for the critical nerves I had used so often to paralyze Hunters. I forced my own message through Nathan's mind, and waited for an answer.

_I'm… still here. Shit, Mercer. What… the fuck happened… to me?_

Another voice came into play. I had heard this voice before, whispers on the fringes of my consciousness that kept the other minds in me quiet when I needed it. I hadn't been able to figure out who it was… until now.

**Become. Learn from me. I am BLACKLIGHT. I… am your father.**

And just like that, I knew. BLACKLIGHT had gained sentience, whether through me or some other way I did not know. All I could feel now was a feeling of lightheadedness as Nathan's body changed again. His mind remained, but his body was… different. No longer was he entirely human, but changed into some kind of… weapon? I wasn't sure, but I picked his new form up. Nathan, whatever he was now, disappeared, biomass tendrils dragging the form in my hand into me.

I heard Nathan's mind buzzing over the rest of the consumed minds in me. He spoke.

_Mercer. Looks like I'm… part of you now. Good luck…_

… But Nathan's presence didn't disappear like the others that I consumed. He remained above the others, flitting in and out of the many voices that rose out of the deep abyss of my consciousness to torment me on a regular basis. I tried to recreate Nathan's form, and it… he reformed in my hand. I set him down on the table, and retracted my tendrils. He reformed into a human shape. His original form. I stuck my tendrils back in, and tried as best as I could to push Nathan's floating consciousness back. Nathan's body took a gasp, and… he came back to life.

I kept the tendrils in, and tried to speak with him. "Feeling okay?"

He just coughed, but nothing came out. I forced some of my own biomass through my tendrils into Nathan. I could hear Nathan's heartbeat, an irregular rhythm that matched my own. Was I really that stressed out?

"Dammit. Mercer, was that your doing?" I could only look down. I didn't know what to say. "So, I'm infected, huh? I heard a voice, saying it was BLACKLIGHT. Was that you?"

"No." Nathan closed his eyes, and lay down on the hard metal surface. "It was the virus. It gained sentience... either through me or something else. It turned you into some kind of weapon or something, and when I picked you up, the virus took over and took you inside me. I have no clue what's going on, but I bet Ragland can do some research into it."

We waited for what seemed like an hour before Ragland arrived. I kept my tendrils firmly attached, and when Ragland eyed them, I glared back at him. "What?"

"You had a problem, Alex? And why in the world do you have those… things attached to that poor soldier?" Ragland picked up a clipboard off the wall and began to take notes. "Does this have something to do with him?" Ragland gestured towards Nathan.

"Yes and no. He's infected, but somehow gained control over the virus. I consumed a Hunter that was about to kill him. He managed to morph his arms into claws similar to mine soon after. I remember that I gained my claws from consuming a Hunter, but I don't know how my consuming of a Hunter could give Nathan claws." I looked down at Nathan. He was breathing short, shallow breaths. I could feel a tinge of pain coming through the makeshift link.

"He's infected with BLACKLIGHT, I assume? I imagine it's possible, if it's just as possible to hear the hive mind from a distance, which is, from what I understand, what you do on a daily basis." Ragland poked Nathan's arm with a pen. A tendril of biomass reacted, knocking the pen out of Ragland's hand to the ground. Nathan was trembling when he saw his own body's reaction. He began to speak, but instead projected his thoughts through his mind.

_This is Ragland? I heard about him when I eavesdropped on a conversation between my superiors._ _I'd imagined him to be younger and more needle-happy, not a cocky old man that pokes people with pens._

I just gave Nathan a glare and looked back towards Ragland. "I find it weird, though, that it would manifest now. I mean, I've already consumed how many scores of Hunters? and this guy obviously has never had his arms turn into claws before now, based on the myriad variations of 'What the fuck?' I heard while I was carting his body over here."

I turned my head and asked. "Nathan, have you lost any portion of your memories?"

He shook his head. "No." A hoarse croak, as if he hadn't spoken for years. "I've still got everything since preschool and that time when I threw up on the roller coaster when I was 8."

"Good. You don't have to go through the massive headaches I get when I suddenly remember something." I drew my lips into a faint smile, then scowled again when Ragland removed a small hammer from a drawer. That doctor didn't learn anything from earlier.

I tried to stop Ragland, but the tendril out of Nathan's knee was already ready. It swatted the hammer into the wall, leaving a hole that gushed out water. The sink below wouldn't hold the deluge of water for long, and I tried to leave… as the tendrils connecting me to Nathan yanked me back. I detached them and ran for the janitor's closet. A bit of water approached me as I ripped the door off its hinges and twisted the shut-off valve around and around until the water stopped.

The water still burned me a little as it spread across the floor. It dried quickly, and with the help of a mop and galoshes stolen from one of my victims, I cleaned up the puddles that remained. A flash of red glinted in a pool of water I hadn't yet cleaned up, and I thought for a moment Nathan was somehow manipulating his biomass again, but he was out of sight. He was around the corner; how could I see him without a mirror?

I collapsed, headache coming on again. This time, I wasn't sure whose memories I was seeing. The old Alex's? No, it would have been brief and head-splitting, as always. I heard a thump from around the corner, and I rushed back to Nathan, even with the dull throb and images flashing before my eyes. Ragland was running out of the room, yelling something about "unconscious, he's in pain".

I wasn't sure how I managed to reach Nathan, but his body had become a mass of writhing tendrils, not unlike immediately before one of my own devastators. One of the tendrils stabbed me directly in the chest, siphoning some biomass away, but not hurting me otherwise. I pushed closer to Nathan, and the tendrils began to wrap themselves around me. A couple attached to my back, a few more to each arm, and one more to each ankle. Biomass began to funnel back into me, and I realized whose memories I was seeing. Nathan's.

[/2]

* * *

A/N: Yes! Made a Star Wars joke! w00t. Don't sue me, George Lucas, I meant to poke a little fun at how Greene calls herself Alex's "mother". There should be a "father" somewhere, right? Now, I just need a way to integrate that "walking carpet". Mwahahahahaha… I guarantee I will, even if I have to create a Chapter x.5 to fit it in. Like this one.

* * *

[2.5]

Cross was suddenly awake. Another bad nightmare. He'd had nightmares for several nights in a row, and he wasn't sure if it was just his recovering body under stress or the virus's effect on him. He'd learned two days ago that he was fortunate; one of a handful of people who just so happened to be immune. The rest of the Wiseman team hadn't been quite as lucky.

Lucky? He didn't feel lucky. He didn't have his coffee.

Cross breathed an exasperated sigh as a supersoldier came in. Cross wanted to kick himself for letting ZEUS slip away, but he was sure he'd tear out an IV or two if he did so. He forced himself to settle down and focus on soothing the parts of himself that so craved caffeine. He wanted to speak, ask for a cup of the bitter black stuff, but that brought to mind the black and red tendrils that he had seen ZEUS use to consume his prey.

An involuntary shudder rocked his weak body, and he remembered that meeting with the large pink… thing. When it had stuck its tendrils into him, he saw ZEUS, through the monster's eyes. A quick little gnat that had so quickly stricken at the... Supreme Hunter. A little gnat that had sapped away the strength of the infected monster, then made the critical mistake of accidentally waking it up again. A story of David and Goliath, with a touch of machete-wielding kids blended in.

The monster had taken a large amount of blood and enough of his strength to leave him barely hanging on to life. It had gained his memories, but had, for some reason, left him alive. A plan of sorts? By leaving him alive, could it hide behind his own face and escape detection, possibly for centuries? Millenia? The thought of it made Cross shudder again, and the lack of coffee only made it worse.

He tried to raise his voice enough for the supersoldier to hear across the room. His throat was dry, and he felt the pinch of two IV's, one in each jugular, as he made his feeble attempt at speech. "Coff… Coffee."

The supersoldier wasn't in his uniform. It was, after all, break time. ZEUS had shown up at their doorstep, and he was happy. He had planted his boot firmly in ZEUS's ribcage, listening intently as he heard four ribs snap and smirked as ZEUS's seemingly lifeless body flew five feet into the air, landing with a "whump-hiss", blood and biomass trailing behind him in a rush to heal his wounds.

Cross watched as the supersoldier came over. "Captain. You said 'coffee'?" He shuddered again. Hot coffee came a short minute later, but he was still thinking the same thing.

_Dammit. I asked for coffee, and I expected a nurse to come help me sit up and drink. I got a walking carpet pouring it all over my face. Is the side effect of the supersoldier mutation a hairy chest?_

And then he realized it. The "hair" was a tangled mess of biomass tendrils. Cross suddenly imagined ZEUS consuming a Hunter. He groaned, then leaned over the edge of his bed and vomited.

[/2.5]

* * *

A/N: Yes, I'll probably have Cross show up later in the main fic. I'm gonna tell his side-story through a series of funny Chapter x.5's, at least until he joins up with the main fic. *grins* Oh yeah, and I made Cross get copied by the Supreme Hunter without getting killed. I don't remember if it's canon or not, but w/e. Does it really matter that much?

Hehe, the Internet has so much to offer. Need to do more research and stuff for this fic, and it'll be a good exercise for my other writing projects as well. At least I know a great source: Wikipedia. It's pretty accurate as long as you stay away from controversial or very recent topics. AKA stay away from "The meaning of life", "George W. Bush", "Lady Gaga", "Twilight (series)", and "Justin Bieber" and you'll be fine. Probably.


	3. See Who I Am

A/N: If you're wondering, this is a philosophical chapter. ...Pretty much no action in this chapter. I don't know why I wrote this chapter, other than the point of advancing the plot a little. It's a short chapter.

Updating on Wednesdays. I'm working on Chapter 5, and Chapter 4 is pretty much finished. (pending further tweaks before posting it here...)

References:

AA = America's Army. Yeah, I've played too many MMOs.

[3]

The memories became suddenly clear.

* * *

_Hey, Jason! Anything new?_

_Nothing, Nate. You know just as well as me that you don't want to rush the studios. Otherwise they'll put out crappy stuff that no one wants to play._

_Yeah, yeah. I know. Been playing too much AA for my own good, anyways._

_Well, I heard Valve is releasing a new shooter sometime first or second quarter next year, but there's rumors that they might be able to release early, maybe even before Christmas._

_

* * *

_

What had Nathan been talking about? I didn't know. All I could tell was it had something to do with games, and playing "games" were not exactly my favorite pastime. One of the last memorable "games" I played was with Cross, who hit me where it hurt, then turned around and gave me a way to dispose of Blackwatch's highest echelons.

Blackwatch didn't simply play games, they created them. Games that they monitored, then twisted for their own gain, far beyond any resemblance of "fair" and "honorable" and even "agreeable". GENTEK had played games, too, in the same fashion as Blackwatch. They played games with G's and C's, A's and T's, like building blocks that they would then crumble to the ground to erase any trace that there had been a building there. Razed to the foundations, again and again. The old Alex had realized this and took out "life insurance" by gluing the blocks together and taking them with him. He put himself into the shape and became... me. What was left of him were sparse memories, sowed too deep to grow until my mucking around in the mud managed to bring them to the surface. Games. They sickened me so.

Nathan's game wasn't something I was comfortable thinking about, so I forced it out of my mind. Nathan had attached himself to my arm, a throbbing red-and-black mass of biomass that had grown "roots" into my own biomass. His mind had linked to mine again, and with his mind I felt another. BLACKLIGHT. It had a mind of its own. Literally.

The blob of biomass on my arm began to pulse in time with my own heartbeat and gradually changed forms into a sword. Not the blade-arm that I normally use, but an actual sword. I hefted it, then let it go. It hung limply by a tendril attached to my wrist. I decided I wouldn't try to swing it around like a whip, and flicked it back upwards into my waiting hand. I went outside, despite Ragland's protests, and glided north.

I chose the junction near the Kennedy Bridge for my training grounds. Nathan/sword was far more useful than Nathan/human, and I put his edge to good use as I sprinted and slashed my way through a mob of infected trying to overwhelm the bridge defenses. Sometimes I think about how Blackwatch should have made like "I Am Legend" and just blown the bridge up, but blowing up the Brooklyn Bridge seems like a waste. They did send down artillery strikes when I was up there last, though.

As I was swinging around Nathan/sword, he asked me a question.

_So I've become just another weapon, another tool of yours, huh? That's just cold._

I spoke out loud. I wanted to make it obvious that I was annoyed. "Shut it, Nathan. I'm sure you'll turn out to be more useful than just 'another weapon, another tool'. You just might be my ticket to liberty."

_So I'm a valuable tool? Great. At least you won't kill me before I become useless._

"Something tells me we're gonna get to know each other very, very well."

* * *

Nathan was sitting on the windowsill. He moved off and came over when he heard me putting on my jacket. "You know, since Blackwatch probably thinks you kidnapped me, you'll be targeted by the military if you go out."

"I know. That's why I'm not going anywhere weird. Just a quick trip around Central Park for fresh air, then straight to Ragland's. I've got a feeling that he needs more of my blood to analyze and more infected cadavers to cut open."

"Yuck. Well, I'll just hang around here, probably go out and fetch some food or something. I think I've got the whole claws thing down already and I kinda stole some of your abilities off the side, so I think I'll be safe going out. You mind if I go out to get some take-out or something? Any groceries?"

"You know me. I don't eat normal food anymore. You might, cause you're still thoroughly set in human ways, but I… forgot how to eat normal food. I get my strength mainly from the infected I consume anyways."

"You're missing out on the fried rice and kung-pao chicken…" Nathan put on the sweatshirt I had stolen from a department store in an infected zone. It wouldn't be good for a person in a military uniform to use claws. Far too obvious. Nathan was wearing a dark green t-shirt underneath the sweatshirt and camo patterned shorts. It looked too orderly.

I waved my hand nonchalantly, then turned around and went to the roof. I sniffed the air. The stench of infected, rotting flesh, combined with the slightly odd smell of rocket-propelled grenades. Twelve blocks off, from looking at the smoke drifting into the sky. I faced northeast and jumped.

* * *

"Alex, no information on when the military will finally let supplies come in? I'm running low again."

"None at all. All I can do for you now is deliver dead infected and find whatever food there remains to be found in the city. And I don't exactly have the capability to act as a living metal detector yet, so I can't exactly sense canned food and TV dinners. Yet. Any idea if you could do that?"

Ragland forced out a chuckle. "No idea, Alex. If I could actually get time, I might actually be able to do it, but as it turns out, I'm busy enough gathering data from all the infected you bother yourself to cart over. And each time, I have to send someone out to dispose of the tanks you bring in. If only you could find a way to get them legitimately…"

"Remember Nathan? I may be able to convince him into putting in a good word for me. I imagine they'll listen to him, since I 'kidnapped' him."

I heard a vehicle clunk-clunkety-clunk to a stop at street level. I looked out the window. A gray sweatshirt and camo shorts. Nathan was sitting on top of a thermobaric tank. A supersoldier was holding his arm in a clearly painful position. I was tempted to just jump out through the window, but Ragland would have to patch up the hole. I opened one of the unscreened windows in the next room and jumped through.

The soldiers on the ground held their guns pointed at me. They had me surrounded. I was prepared, tendrils already itching to punch holes through the forty or fifty soldiers that were approaching me. One poked me in the back with his rifle. "Move."

The supersoldier on the tank grabbed ahold of Nathan and forced him to come towards me.

I tried to start a little conversation. "Got caught with your take-out chicken?"

Nathan began to talk, but his words morphed into a yelp of pain when the supersoldier dislocated his arm. This wasn't going to be a pretty fight. If I sent the tendrils I had already prepared outwards, I would likely kill Nathan. I walked up to the supersoldier and kicked him in the shins. Hard. I heard two bones crack.

I heard a grunt of pain and jumped back a few feet. I wasn't exactly ready if it came down to a fist fight, and my blade-arm would take me a few precious seconds to form. Nathan's sword form wasn't entirely familiar yet, and I wasn't sure what else he could do at the time.

All I remember was that I grabbed Nathan's hand, and his biomass formed itself into a weapon in my hand. I didn't even care what it was and swung at the supersoldier, who was still whimpering in pain and clutching his leg. I felt very little backlash from the weapon that Nathan had morphed into. A clean cut.

When I looked at Nathan's new form again, I was surprised. A short edge and a point on the end of a long pole. Somehow, Nathan had figured out how to turn into a halberd. The supersoldier's leg had been mostly severed, and thin black vines were working out of the wound to try and reconnect with the injured limb. I willed Nathan's biomass back into the familiar little blob on my arm and called to Ragland to come down and help out a wounded soldier.

* * *

With Ragland's help, the supersoldier managed to recover without too much blood loss. He introduced himself as "Fucking hell, that hurts. Oh, I'm Ryan."

"So, 'fucking hell that hurts oh I'm Ryan', I'm gonna ship your limp body back to the nearest base. That should be a convenient four or five blocks away from here, if I remember correctly."

"FUCK! Shove off, old man. Don't need your frickin' stitches. Oh, right. Glad you didn't aim any higher with that weapon, whatever it was. Wicked sharp blade. Where the fuck is Nathan? I was sent out to find him, and I decided to let him get me sidetracked and found you as well." The supersoldier was trying to push away the sharp curved needle that Ragland wielded in his gloved right hand. Lucky me, I haven't ever needed stitches.

"He's right here." I pointed at the little blob of biomass sitting on my right arm. "He's able to turn into a weapon, kinda like my own shapeshifting. Different from me, though. I just turn parts of me into weapons."

The supersoldier gave me the middle finger. "Shit. Nathan turns into fucking weapons? What'll he turn into next, another fucking nuke?"

"No, and I'd advise you to stop fucking swearing and go limp." I hit the supersoldier hard in the temples, a knockout move I had learned from a Marine I had consumed a week or so earlier.

Nathan looked at me. "Was that necessary?"

"Well, unless you can turn into a pair of handcuffs, yes."

[/3]

A/N: Yeah, short chapter. The following chapter of Cross's side-story is definitely longer than the last, but it's got a little bit of plot and isn't really funny... though it's a set-up for Alex to reveal the biggest practical joke. Ever.

On other stuff: Yeah. I turned Nathan, quite literally, into a living weapon. Yeah. I made a little commentary about video games. Thanks to GameFAQs for their awesome database, it helped a lot. I plan on playing Nathan as a crazy gamer that happens to be as good with a real gun IRL as with WASD/mouse-controlled gun. *grins*

I imagine Nathan as an 4 1/2 foot long sword. A lot longer of a blade than Alex's blade power, but no fun "I-doez-teh-spinz-1n-teh-air-and-d3stroyz-ur-tankz" move. Too bad, so sad. As a halberd, Nathan would be closer to… 7 or 8 feet long. I still laugh at the mental image of Alex in shining armor and wielding Nathan/halberd, riding a horse. Haha. It's totally besides the point, but funny as hell.

Ah, another Chapter x.5.

[3.5]

Cross was out of the hospital. It felt good to breathe dirty Manhattan air again, and taking a walk would help ease the residual pain. The hole in his chest from the Supreme Hunter was healing quickly, which he attributed to the virus. It could work miracles for people who were immune.

Cross walked around in the transport staging area. As he weaved through each line of the mechanical beasts of burden, he noticed one had a cross-shaped necklace rapped around the driver's side mirror.

_Intriguing._ He moved closer. A phone rang, and he recognized it as one of his own. He found it stuck to the underside of the steering column.

"Cross here."

"You know very well who I am." Mercer.

"How the hell did you get my mobiles?"

"I went around searching underneath pay phones while I was running errands for the little boy I brought home a few days ago."

Nathan. A shiver went down Cross's spine. "How's the kid?"

"He's doing well. I think he understands his predicament. Must be tough for him to decide between me and Blackwatch."

"I'm having those thoughts in myself as well. Blackwatch knows I'm immune to the virus. How long before they strap me down on a morgue slab and collect tissue samples for testing?"

"I was thinking Nathan might help me get on Blackwatch's good side. Anyways, if you want to discuss anything in person, leave a location at Ragland's at least two days in advance."

The line went dead. Cross looked at the mobile in his hand and thought to himself. _Shit. A few hours out of the hospital and I'm already knee-deep in conspiracy again._

_

* * *

_

"Why are we meeting inside a tank again?"

"Cause I want to. Besides, you're the only one that destroys tanks in the entire city on a regular basis, so I think we'll be sufficiently safe. Add to the fact that we're parked pretty much well away from all the infected and military zones, and we should be safe from prying eyes."

"I left Nathan at the safe house. He told me about your reputation and stuff. Sounds fun, blowing up a secret town on Antarctica."

"Nathan wasn't supposed to know about that. How...?"

"He hacked a couple of databases. Seems one of his favorite leisure activities was hacking friends' computers in high school." Alex smirked. "Nate managed to set up a wireless network throughout the city, but you'll need to use one of our computers to access it."

"How..." Cross shook his head. "Sounds like you intend on staying in Manhattan. I was thinking of getting a bit of leave and escaping while I'm away. Then we could arrange to meet somewhere."

"Nope, staying. Blackwatch still hasn't been able to suppress the virus, even with Greene out of the way. I imagine that Greene's death would make the infected less coordinated, but Blackwatch needs to get its act together. Go back and tell whoever's running the show now that Nathan and I have decided to help out only if we walk as free men at the end of this mess."

"I doubt he'd agree to your terms in other circumstances, but as long as Manhattan is quarantined, the economy basically won't move anywhere. Blackwatch will have to let debt cross the financial red line if this isn't resolved soon."

[/3.5]

A/N: "We burn our own to hold the red line! It is the last line to ever hold!" -Blackwatch motto/whatever you want to call it?

Yeah, right. Money-making ALWAYS comes first, even before zombie outbreaks and superhuman mutants that destroy tanks with one blow. Can Alex cut a dollar in half if it's on Paypal? I think not.


	4. Inside Out

A/N: Yeah, I figured this was way too short, so I merged what I had done for Chapter 5 into this one. Haha, this is now a regular-sized chapter again.

References:

Dr. Mario, Freddy Krueger, Resident Evil.

[4]

"Shit. Doing those transformations frickin' hurts. The only one that feels even slightly normal is the shield."

"Learn to love 'em. And yeah, the shield is pretty easy to use." I looked at Nathan. I could tell he was attempting the armor. "Try not to choke yourself to death with that. I'm not sure the virus has a sense of self-preservation built in. Actually, I'm pretty sure the virus doesn't have that kind of sense."

Nathan acted as if he were choking, and then laughed. "Well, that's pretty obvious. Any normal person would get on a heli and flee from the Reagan if that Supreme Hunter thing showed up."

"Well, well. I didn't run, did I? Anyways, did you get caught with your gone-pow chicken?"

"It's kung-pao chicken, for your information, and I couldn't find anyone that was open. Ended up ripping open a supermarket door and grabbing a couple bags of groceries. How was Dana?"

"Still out cold. I think I'll need a miracle if she'll ever be awake again. She's already been out a week and a half." Nathan had a way of making me talk. Like Dana.

"Miracles happen, Alex. I can attest to that myself. Look at me, I survived the virus and got onto a first-name basis with a serial killer." Nathan addressed me by my first name, and not "Mercer" or "ZEUS". I was a bit confused.

"Well, Nathan. Getting a bit comfortable here and calling me by first name now?" Nathan's expression changed from "It's alright" to "Okay, not fucking cool".

"Uh... well, if it's alright with you..."

"Of course it's alright. I don't have anyone to talk to except Dana and Ragland, and the former is in a coma. She's not exactly able to hold a conversation with me. Ragland isn't much of a conversational person, either." Nathan looked quite relieved.

"I put the groceries on the counter, and I'll be cooking something in an hour or so. Tell me if you want any dinner, alright?" Nathan looked at home in the safe house. He'd changed into different clothes, a t-shirt stating "Dr. Mario prescribed video games for my social problems." and a pair of blood-speckled jeans from one of the infected zones.

"Don't want any. You know I get most of my strength from consuming infected."

"And it's a disgusting habit. Eat something. I can get pasta done in fifteen minutes, if that's what you want."

"I told you I don't want anything to eat." But I did. The scent of semi-fresh food was overpowering, and I felt my stomach churn. It yearned for something, anything to do.

* * *

"More breaking news on the situation in Manhattan, after the break." Nathan turned off the TV.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"Not anymore. You're going to be eating this." He put a plate of spaghetti in front of me. "Eat it."

"What's in this?"

"Dry sausages from a bag, tomato sauce from a jar, pasta from a box, cheese out of a vacuum-sealed package, milk out of a can. Nothing that could be spoiled after three weeks." I tasted the pasta. It was good, and my stomach grumbled for more.

"Ya know what, Nathan? I actually feel hungry, and this time not for infected people."

"What did I say? My cooking's not that bad." And it wasn't. For once, I could eat without worrying about Dana accidentally dropping the salt shaker into a pot of rice or melting the plastic spatula in her attempts to make a stir-fry. I could only trust her with mashed potatoes, and potatoes were becoming few and far between in crimson-skied Manhattan. I busied myself with cleaning off the small plate of food.

"Better than Dana's. I can't trust any of her food, unless it's mashed potatoes. And even that's a little iffy sometimes."

* * *

"Shit, these transformations still hurt like frickin' hell."

"Don't choke yourself again, or I'll have to slash off the biomass that you somehow manage to wrap around your throat. Again." I rolled my eyes at Nathan's attempts to form the armor. "You're still not getting it, I see. I always find the faceplate a lot more difficult to do than the rest of the body. Always feels like I'm gonna suffocate or something."

"I think it'll be better if I just stick to the shield."

"I think it'll be better if you learn to do both the shield and the armor, not to mention the other offensive abilities. You've only got the claws mastered." Nathan had a look of "You're frickin' kidding me." on his face. I raised an eyebrow. "I'll go get some of your precious groceries. Don't kill yourself while I'm gone, okay?"

Nathan grunted as he tried to form the armor over his legs. Spikes, but no solid covering, and they disappeared when he stopped focusing. "Whatever."

I got up and walked to the side of the building. Gravity took over as my body hurtled over the edge of the building. Nathan's not-so-bad cooking had only gotten better when I was able to find some fresh food for him. And for some reason, it felt natural for me to eat his food. Was it simply because Nathan was infected? Or was BLACKLIGHT deciding whether my body should accept the food? I felt out of control as I fell and landed with a flip, feet-first on the roof of a taxi unlucky enough to be driving underneath. The safe house wasn't going to be all that safe eventually, and I hadn't yet scouted out a new location to stay.

* * *

The supermarket was still stuffed with food, but I left the TV dinners and junk food alone and went for the freezers that still miraculously worked somehow. Through the glass, I could see my own bloodshot eyes. No amount of biomass could change the fact that I was growing weary of Manhattan. Little flecks of old memories returned from the old Alex, short snapshots of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, all which flowed through my mind without stopping long enough to cause the sharp pain that I had become so accustomed to.

I left the store with at least ten or twelve bags of groceries and glided my way back to the safe house. Nathan was still on the roof with a thin covering of spiky biomass on his legs.

"I don't fucking get it. How do you do it?"

"Well... I don't know what to do. I might have to do that whole parasite thing again to help you learn it. See if you can do Whipfist and Hammerfists first, and we'll move on from there. I'll go put this stuff into the fridge."

* * *

"Wow. I figured it out."

I looked at Nathan. Sure enough, he had morphed his right arm into a Whipfist similar to my own. "Good. Seems you have to develop your abilities the same way I did. Come on. Let's see if we can get Ragland to help out again."

Nathan nodded and stuck out his hand. I put my hand on his and allowed tendrils to erupt from my arms and attach to Nathan. "Hey, Alex. You know... it doesn't feel quite as weird doing this change as it is doing your kind."

"More natural for you to change into a weapon, huh? Ya know, I can't do what you do."

"Really? Maybe you never tried. I always feel like I'm a tool, a gear in the machine that is Blackwatch. I feel like a weapon that's just told what to do by other people. Getting away from that seems good, but I guess the 'tool-and-weapon' feeling remains."

"'Tool-and-weapon' feeling? I feel like a toy in the hands of much larger forces sometimes. Reminds me of Toy Story."

"And how would you know about Toy Story?... Actually, that was a dumb question. Never mind I asked."

I moved on. "Well, what else could you turn into, other than a sword and a halberd? I see you're either a history buff, obsessed with weapons, or deeply entrenched in video games. Which one is it?"

"Gamer. Definitely. Mmhmm." Nathan mimed having a game controller in his free hand, showing his button-mashing skills. "You know, the only reason I joined the military was because I've played too many shooters and I thought I would be good at it."

"And now you're able to turn your hands into claws and live through a zombie apocalypse. Great. Let me guess, Resident Evil with a little Freddie Krueger thrown in?"

"Freddie Krueger? Never liked horror movies. Let's go see Ragland. Maybe he can cure my armor blues."

* * *

"What do you mean, Alex?"

"I mean, I want to put Nathan through the same thing I went through with that parasite that was on my back. Remember that first time?"

"Yes, but you're sure you want to put Nathan through that as well?" Ragland raised an eyebrow.

"I think I already made it clear the first time, but I guess I can repeat it again. Nathan's abilities develop the same way mine did when I gained them. Give him the parasite, and give me the vaccine to go inject into some Hunter. I still remember the water tower I found my Hunter in."

"Fine." Ragland stormed off, muttering something about "kids these days" and "no respect for these old bones". I looked at Nathan.

"What are you looking at, Alex?"

"Nothing really, though I thought since I gain the abilities of anything I consume, if I let you consume a portion of my biomass, would you gain the same abilities as me? Or does BLACKLIGHT require that the consumed has to die?"

"Uh... I'd know less about BLACKLIGHT than you."

"And you forget I can't recall what I did with BLACKLIGHT in the lab."

"...Right. I forgot about that."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, you'll have plenty of chances to put yourself in life-threatening situations. Not to mention the one awaiting you once I give you the shot."

[/4]

A/N: I was being REALLY careful with chronology. Left 4 Dead (November '08), at the July/August '08 timeframe that this is set in, would NOT have been published yet, and so Alex probably wouldn't know about it. Nathan probably knew that Valve was releasing it, though. Resident Evil, on the other hand, has been around for a long time, so Alex could have had knowledge about it.

I also made Nathan quite self-sufficient. He's a gamer, similar to people who actually play Prototype. lol. I'm still deciding how far I want his gaming addiction to go... Either he's going to play everything at the video game store except the kitchen sink, or he's going to constantly look at Metacritic. (like me *grins*)

[4.5]

"... And he's a darn good cook. Better than what I get at the few places that are still open."

"Sounds like you and Nathan have things set on your end. I talked to the Director, he said that he wants you two to stay inside Blackwatch after the outbreak. Said something about being a source of genetic breakthroughs."

"Did he say in what capacity? Lab rat? Scientist? Cadaver? Test subject?"

"I didn't hear anything like that, but I'd guess 'lab rat' would be most likely."

Alex hissed in discontent. "I'm tempted to stab my claws through your chest right now and finish what the Supreme Hunter started, but I... feel sorry for you. Pretty much the same circumstances as Nathan. A measure of pity in return for the little bit you gave me that first time."

"I'm surprised you remember that part. You were clutching your head in pain, weren't you?"

"Don't remind me. Penn Station wasn't unicorns and rainbows. The old me died there to create the new me."

"And simultaneously shut down America for a month saying a last '...And fuck you, too' to the world. The new you is downright moral compared to the old you."

"And the old me didn't go around killing people because he wanted to. The new me goes around consuming everyone that looks at me the wrong way."

"The old you didn't exactly have tentacles and claws, either. And the new you kills people who know who you are and look at you in that 'wrong' way."

"Touché."

"The Director also said that you weren't human."

"But you think I am?"

"I'm starting to think that way. If I'm human, Nathan's human, and we're both infected, then there's only one more jump in logic before I can say you're human too. Though you sure don't act like it sometimes."

"The savagery of war makes upright people fall out of good standing. It can give the most insane of serial killers an outlet for their violence, as well as drive the most stable of people into a corner and torture them. I'd say we're closer to the serial killer persona."

"I'd say you ARE a serial killer."

"Only on Thursdays or when I'm grumpy. You're the one who's going for genocide."

"Only 9 to 5 or when I'm ordered to."

"That's all the time. And you don't work in a cubicle."

"After this, I'm considering it. You worked in a lab, surrounded by stainless steel equipment."

"I don't remember any of it, other than stealing the sample of BLACKLIGHT. I don't recall, therefore I did not."

"Denial? Did you learn that on your own, or was that line stolen from someone you consumed?"

"Come to think of it, I think there was one person I consumed that said that once..."

"Let me guess: Elizabeth Greene?"

"No, General Randall."

"Right. He said that when I asked him about cutting his arm off. Damn hypocrite."

"Well, then you probably also know I consumed him on the Reagan."

"Using Colonel Taggart's identity to get on the ship while being led onboard by the Supreme Hunter. I know. Tell me, is that thing dead and gone?"

"... I killed it. Twice."

"Twice? How do you know there won't be a third time?"

"Should I test it out by impaling you on my blade-arm?"

"No, thank you."

"I insist. It'll be good sport, and that hole in your chest can heal all over again."

[/4.5]

A/N: Oops, got Cross in a really uncomfortable position. ^^' I was writing impromptu again. *sigh*

If this is the kind of work I do when I'm not thinking, I think I should stop thinking. lol paradox right there. Wasn't thinking again.


	5. Idioglossia

A/N: Yes! Major plot point reached. Chapter x.5's will continue, since there's a use for them: telling Cross's story. His story will make it back to the main plot eventually...

Yes, this is a 3k word chapter. Deal with it.

References this chapter: I didn't really use any... T.T

[5]

"And I was totally not expecting to have to catch a Leader Hunter. Damn it, Alex."

"I wasn't expecting it either. I guess it's like Russian roulette, either everything goes according to plan or you shoot yourself in the foot.

"Thanks for saving my poor butt, though. How'd you learn to take down Leaders?"

"Ragland."

"…What?"

"He told me that they had two brains and two spines, and then added that I had to disable both of each before I could consume them."

Nathan got up from the glass panes that we were resting against on top of the GENTEK building. "So, what now? I figured out the armor and the blade."

"Infected vision and being able to tap the Hive Mind."

"Fuck. Sounds difficult."

"It isn't. You should already be able to tell who's infected, but the Hive Mind part is still beyond you. I don't know how to explain the vision change, but you know how to see in thermal vision."

"Yeah." Nathan nodded. "I figured that out while you were out finding groceries three days ago."

"Well, do that kind of thing again. I'm not sure how to put it."

Nathan closed his eyes, and I jammed tendrils from my back into his shoulder. "Let's see…"

"Well, I can definitely hear the infected through you, but I can't feel it inside myself."

"Keep trying."

* * *

An hour later and a couple UAV's later, Nathan had gotten nowhere.

"Fucking hell, Alex, I don't know how you do it."

"And I'm not comfortable forcing you to turn into the blob on my arm again. It isn't exactly a good feeling." I removed my tendrils from Nathan's shoulder. "Did you feel anything when you consumed that Leader? Anything different about yourself?"

"Yeah, but I didn't pay attention to any change in my vision. Just the armor and that shiny new blade-arm."

"Well, look at me. How do I look to you?"

"Okay, I did not just hear you say that."

"I did. I'm serious."

"Well, you look... ragged. Your jacket looks really dusty."

"Ragged?"

"You look pale. Your jacket looks old and worn."

"Well, pale... and my jacket's old and worn? But my biomass is constantly making it look new again. It shouldn't look old."

"So… that's what's changed?"

"You've been using the infected vision the entire time. Should have guessed. Try to bring that other layer of your vision out more. I should stop looking like me and more like a white blob if you're doing it right."

* * *

"And I wasn't expecting to have to consume Marines. Damn it, Alex."

"Their exposure to the virus already condemned them. They were going to turn eventually. The virus requires an incubation period before it begins to spread on a larger scale through the body, and you just caught them during that critical period."

"Still…"

"Well, would you rather hunt down random civilians?"

"…No."

"Then Marines it is."

"Fuck."

"Cook something. Get your stress levels down."

"I don't want to fucking cook anything."

"I consumed a guy from the culinary institute yesterday. Tell me what the fuck you want."

"Whatever!" Nathan was clearly unhappy. With my newfound knowledge of how to correctly julienne and sauté vegetables, I went into the kitchen while Nathan kicked his feet up on the little sofa in front of the TV. Things were not going well at the safe house.

* * *

Nathan refused the plate of mac and cheese I offered to him. "Not frickin' hungry." Unusual.

"Look in the cabinets under the TV." I had found a PS3 when I crashed through the roof of an apartment building.

"Yeah, a PS3. So what? No Blu-ray movies to watch? No games? Pfft."

I mumbled, "Ungrateful bastard." Nathan turned on the TV and started to channel surf. It was clear his mind was on something else.

"What the hell is wrong with you today?... Ordinarily you're hungry, raring to blow someone's head off, or out and about." I could feel myself losing my self-control. "Fucking hell, what's chewing at you, Nathan?"

Nathan remained silent. I picked up the plate of mac and cheese and ate it quickly. Could've had more cheese.

I decided to tune into the hive mind and probe Nathan's consciousness. I heard him acknowledge the other infected when they "spoke". His mind was growing dull.

**_Nathan?_**

_Yeah._ His tone was even more apathetic when he realized I was trying to talk to him.

**_What the fuck is wrong with you today? I know you never get tired of killing things. If it'll help you take your mind off things, go find some groceries again._**

_Don't wanna._

**_Fucking go. I'll be at Ragland's to check up on Dana again._**

_Why do you even care anymore?_

**_Because she's... she's my sister._**

_You're a virus. You don't have a sister. You only think she's your sister._

**_I think, therefore I am. I'm not even a fucking philosopher. Pick something to do and go do it._**

_Fine. I'll go with you to Ragland's._

**_That's better._**

**_

* * *

_**Nathan was a distraction all the way to Ragland's morgue. His internalized whining and grumbling riled the voices that I had worked so hard to quell before, and I found myself having a major headache, not unlike when I obtained new memories of my origins from my victims.

"I forgot to mention to you earlier, Nathan. I checked Cross into Ragland's morgue."

_You what?_

"I checked Cross into the morgue. I kinda... uh... almost killed him. Again."

_Frickin' hell, you shoulda told me earlier. That would have perked me up._

"I wouldn't have known."

_Let me fly around with you. It's more fun gliding on my own, rather than just watching through your eyes._

"Fine." I landed on top of the smokestack connected to the morgue and let Nathan take some biomass to reform his body.

"Fuck, that always hurts. And you had to land this close to the morgue, too. No fun."

"You can glide your way back to the safe house. I'm gonna fetch some groceries on the way back."

We went inside. "Thermal vision, Nathan. It'll find where everyone is."

After digging through two dark floors of unlighted corridors meant to confuse any infected that might find their way into the structure, Ragland turned up on the third floor.

"Alex. I put your friend on the fifth floor. Dana's condition is... unfortunately, no better than when you were last here."

"Thanks. Which room is Cross in?"

"5422. It's a private room." Nathan ran off, supposedly to see Cross. I gestured to Ragland to lead the way.

"Anything new about Dana's condition?"

"I'm afraid to draw any more blood, and I'd prefer you don't get too close to Dana." Translation: I have, unfortunately, exhausted my arsenal of diagnostics to run. I have no fucking idea what's going on with your sister.

"I need help with Nathan."

Ragland raised an eyebrow. "I'm interested."

"It seems he's losing his touch. Maybe getting depressed about having to kill perfectly normal people."

"They aren't normal people if he's getting depressed about it."

"Okay, fine. They were already infected, but still in the incubation period of the virus's development."

"And he's feeling sorry for them. I am no psychoanalyst, but I would say he's turning. You need to make him focus on you."

"How? Ask him to cook for me? I learned how to cook when I consumed a guy from the culinary institute yesterday."

"Well, if cooking keeps him sane, then yes."

"...He didn't want to eat at all today."

"Did you cook for him?"

"Mac and cheese. Not the stuff out of a box, Dana's cooked that before and it was terrible, even by her standards."

"Comfort food. It could be making him homesick and more depressed."

"But it could also help with his depression."

"True. I think it's high time for you to send Nathan back. Your friend is getting much better since you checked him in."

"That's good."

"It seems the virus is helping him heal faster. Your doing?"

"Maybe. He's kind of like Nathan, in that he's got some degree of control over the virus, though he can't actually transform his biomass like Nathan and I. Not yet, at least."

* * *

Ragland led me up two flights of stairs and three corridors before we arrived at Cross's room.

"...'So fuck me running.'" Cross and Nathan both laughed. "You know that joke, right, Nathan?"

"Alex, I think I'll leave you three to yourselves." Ragland left.

I waited for Ragland to move out of earshot and glared at the two yellow-and-white blobs in my vision. "Alright, what the hell are you two doing?" I sat down on the chair across the bed from Nathan and looked up at the ceiling. "Telling jokes?"

"Yeah. You need to be Blackwatch to understand, though."

"I've consumed plenty of Blackwatch soldiers. I think I know the joke you're talking about."

Nathan started to poke at Cross. He groaned when Nathan probed at the hole in his chest, then started to laugh again. "Nate, you don't seem like a bad person at all."

"And I feel less like getting myself killed out there tomorrow."

"Well, that's an improvement. Last time I checked, you wanted to starve yourself to death. I think it's high time for you two to go back to Blackwatch." I turned my head to stare at Nathan over the bed.

"I don't want to be a lab rat, Alex."

"Me neither. Mercer, if you came with us, your argument for going free at the end of all this might be that much more convincing."

"Yet if we all went, they'll probably use something to take us out, all at once. The main infection out there is still a modified version of Greene's REDLIGHT, and none of us carry it unaltered. Blackwatch's precious cure is more likely to come from one of the hives or deep underground in the subways."

"But they're still blaming BLACKLIGHT. That would be us."

"So what do you propose, Captain?" Nathan turned around to look out the window.

"I could go back alone. They'll question me as to where I've been, but there isn't much I can really reveal about you guys. All I could say is that Alex poked around inside me, then accidentally hurt me and checked me into a hospital. I'll be safe. I'm less interesting to the scientists compared to you two, anyways."

"And you're just as likely to become a lab rat as any of us." Nathan grimaced at my comment.

"I'd like to think about something else. Preferably something happy."

"Well, hopefully, Cross can get Blackwatch to agree to letting us go at the end of all of this."

"Good luck, Captain."

"And I almost forgot again... Go to the lookout point where we met before the Supreme Hunter. There'll be a cardboard box with a laptop underneath it nearby. That computer should connect itself to Nathan's wireless network. Good luck, Cross."

"Yeah, yeah. Either down on the morgue slab or walking out the front door when this is all over. See ya."

* * *

Nathan and I left the morgue after we talked with Cross. If Ragland didn't lie, then I might need to relearn everything the old me learned in school and apply it to making a cure for Dana.

"I'm going to find some groceries again. Go back to the safe house and grab the mobile. Just keep an eye out on that lookout point and if Cross picks up the package, then give him a buzz."

Nathan nodded and jumped southeast, back towards the safe house. I jumped down to street level and ran north, into East Harlem. I decided I would terrorize the local infected for a while before looking around for food.

As it turned out, a Leader was roaming around, chomping people's heads off as was their typical behavior.

"...'So fuck me running.' Hmph." I morphed my right arm into the blade and jumped off of the T-junction. As I fell, I reoriented to jam my elbow blade into the Leader's unprotected back. I landed and dragged the sharp edge left-to-right in a blood-spurting gash that stained my jacket. "And fuck you too, for staining my white shirt."

I ended the Leader's life with the standard flourish, slicing its head and two gaping mouths in half with the sharp inside edge of my blade-arm, though I added a throw to the end to simultaneously crush a path through the crowd of infected trying to leave the island. I saw a tank turn its barrel towards me, and I rolled out of the way. The world exploded, but my body had already formed armor instinctively for protection.

**_What the fucking hell are these idiots thinking?_**

_Only what they think is right. If I were there, I'd be giving them hell right now. Do me a favor and blow up a tank._

**_Yeah, yeah. I'll get your groceries after I'm done here._**

When I did finish, the freeway junction was mostly covered in blood, I had taken in far too much biomass, and the remains of several tanks and UAVs littered the grass and dirt below. I wiped off a piece of gore from my shoulder and jumped southwest, towards a small supermarket I knew had food. There had to be a use for all the biomass I consumed other than spearing everything within Whipfist range into Swiss cheese. All I had to do was find the answer.

[/5]

A/N: I can't believe I had Alex consume a guy from a culinary institute. I need to do more plot and less impromptu! *hits self* But now Alex can cook for himself. *grins*

Well... I don't know how far I'll actually bring this. I know I need to bring this to a close eventually, and I definitely need to keep the majority of the main story between Alex and Nate, but writing Cross's point of view is just SOO interestingly fun. I think I've already got the gist of where the story will arc from here.

A/N (post-write time note): I'm likely to release both Chapters 6 and 7 at the same time. They're linked together, and I don't want to leave people on a cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 6. It's just too funny to leave Chapter 6.5 hanging as well... Gotta finish the unfortunate joke at Cross's expense. ^^

[5.5]

Cross made his way to the lookout point. Just as Alex said, there was a cardboard box next to the phone booth. He picked it up to find a messenger bag with a laptop inside. A note was attached.

"Look in the front pocket."

Cross unzipped the messenger bag and reached down. A distinctly familiar shape vibrated in his hand. Cross picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Well, Captain, you found it. Plug the laptop into the outlet behind you and turn it on." Cross fumbled around the bag until he found the charger.

"Hold on..." Cross plugged it in and turned on the computer. "It's on."

"Look on the screen."

* * *

[19:11:24]ultraviolet221: Hey thar, Cap'n!

* * *

"Oh, fuck you. I hate IM. I get your reference, though. BLACKLIGHT, black light. Har-de-har-har."

"Hey, I wanted to have some fun. Pick a name for yourself."

* * *

[19:20:12]System notice: guest.90.01.5f.33 changed name to sub-rosa973

[19:20:25]sub-rosa973: There. Happy?

[19:20:29]ultraviolet221: Took a while.

[19:20:33]ultraviolet221: Under the rose. Very funny. [/sarcasm]

* * *

"Is Mercer online?"

"Alex? He went to get groceries, but he's gotten into the habit of taking his laptop with him. Oh, if you noticed, your laptop is the tablet kind. It's totally disposable since Alex and I found a shipping container full of them in the harbor, but try not to lose it, okay?"

"Sure."

"And keep it with you. I'm not exactly trusting of Blackwatch to let everything stay confidential."

"... Since you and Alex could spoil everything that goes on in Blackwatch, including what happened in Hope, Idaho and that town in Antarctica."

"Exactly."

"I'll be sure to mention it."

"Just keep an eye on your end for when Alex comes on. Hopefully, he won't take too long, though I noticed he was fighting some infected near Kennedy Bridge. Again. I suppose he's going to search for some groceries in Harlem."

"He eats?"

"I'm the primary consumer of food in the household, but he eats. Sometimes. He actually cooked some stuff for me when I was feeling kinda down today, but when I turned it down, he ate it all himself. Hungry bastard."

"I thought he only had an appetite for destruction."

"He's not as rough as he might seem at first."

"I already knew that."

"And you know that because...?"

"He didn't blow up the tank I was waiting for him in."

"Like that requires any amount of patience. Only ignorance."

"Like how ignorant you are of Blackwatch's current state?"

"Besides the search teams? Nothing's happened that isn't predictable."

"...That's pretty much true."

"Go register a blip on the radar or something, Captain. I think it'll be fun. Stay in touch."

The phone clicked in Cross's hand. He looked up towards the skyline and noticed a little figure on top of a building, arm formed in salute. Cross signaled back and looked back down at the laptop that sat in his lap.

* * *

[19:33:58]ultraviolet221: G'night, cap'n. I should probably be heading back to the safe house. Alex is probably done getting groceries.

[19:34:12]sub-rosa973: Good night. Give Mercer my regards.

* * *

[/5.5]

A/N: If anyone's wondering, I based Nate's network off of Meraki and/or FON, though I imagined the nonbroadcasting part. (I'm actually not sure if Meraki or FON have the non-broadcasting SSID feature available. T.T gah research.)

Yeah, I know. I made Cross a slow typer. So sue me. You'd think with an itchy trigger finger like his (did anyone see how fast he fired those grenades at Alex?) he'd be a faster typer, but I decided to try and make it a bit odd. I like it so far.

I had a little bit of fun writing Cross's POV, but I think it'll get a lot more serious from here on out. I've left a joke to crack when I finish this fic, and it's a doozy. I think I'm going to fall over laughing when I actually write it...


	6. New Allegiance

A/N: Yay! I'm done developing Nathan as a character. (though there remains a little, it'll come through flashbacks from here on out)

It's Wednesday again, and I'm releasing this chapter along with Chapter 7, since I feel like it. Too bad writer's block struck as I tried to write Chapter 9. Probably my fault for writing Chapter 8 so open-ended...

[6]

Home. At least for the time being, the safe house was still... safe. With Cross back with Blackwatch, if we were found, we'd still be left alone.

I returned from Harlem to find Nathan on the couch, channel surfing again.

"Did Cross get the package?"

"Yeah. Gave him a little pep talk over the phone, as well."

"And he outranks you."

"I'm not even really part of Blackwatch anymore. If I were to go back right now, I'd be a lab rat. Dissected along with the captain on a morgue slab."

"Yet you still refer to him as a superior."

"Because I hold him in high esteem. And because he outranks me."

We were both silent as Nathan's computer signaled an incoming message. Nathan picked up his computer, and I sat down next to him on the couch.

* * *

[23:22:08]subrosa973: Anyone online?

[23:22:10]ultraviolet221: Here, cap'n.

[23:22:18]subrosa973: Is Mercer there?

[23:22:22]ultraviolet221: He's sitting right next to me.

[23:22:43]subrosa973: Could you get him on the computer? I have something I need to discuss with him.

* * *

"Alex, it's Cross. He needs to talk to you on something."

"I'll get my laptop." I got up and moved to the desk, where my laptop sat waiting. I dismissed the open windows about Netflix and switched on the messaging program.

* * *

[23:23:10]enigma308: "Here, cap'n."

[23:23:13]subrosa973: Good.

[23:23:21]subrosa973: There's been another outbreak in Brooklyn. The virus may have made it over the water.

[23:23:23]enigma308: Did the deal push through?

[23:23:28]subrosa973: It did, mostly because I brought up how quickly you eliminated the Runner in Times Square. Greene.

[23:23:30]enigma308: Even though I'm classified as a Runner myself. How ironic.

[23:23:48]subrosa973: Ironic indeed. The Director is letting you guys do whatever you need to do to stop the infection. The only condition is that they're allowed to gather some information about the virus itself from the three of us afterwards.

[23:24:20]enigma308: ... That's acceptable, though I don't really want to do it. How'll we get to Brooklyn? The quarantine is still in effect, so I can't exactly go commandeering a chopper.

[23:24:34]subrosa973: Go to the Battery Park base. I'm there right now. The helicopter will take off in about an hour. The higher-ups are telling me to tell you to be prepared to start as soon as we touch down.

[23:24:42]enigma308: Good. We can get a midnight snack on the way.

[23:24:46]enigma308: Nathan! Did you catch everything?

[23:24:52]ultraviolet221: Sure did. Let's get going.

* * *

After Nathan and I locked up the safe house, we both glided south. Nathan decided to run around through Chinatown, while I decided to head straight towards Wall Street. I tried to abstain from too much destruction, but five minutes later, three hives had been reduced to rubble.

_You're going a bit far, Alex. Overkill much?_

_**Overkill? Think of it as a sending-off party for us. Give them a chance to prove their worth. Maybe they'll actually succeed while we're gone.**_

_And then who do we consume when we get hurt and don't have 'Dora the Explorer' bandages to slap on?_

_**You have regeneration, right?**_

_... I don't know. Does it come with the package?_

_**Maybe I should have left you to die by decapitation that day.**_

_Then you wouldn't have a sword to wield in Brooklyn._

The collective screams of infected hurt while I was destroying a fourth hive, so I tuned out the Hive Mind and continued to throw volley after volley of cars and air conditioners.

The hive, predictably, lit on fire once it had taken enough damage and promptly collapsed. The several tanks that were gathered around the hive turned their barrels towards me, then turned around and moved off towards another hive.

"Glad to help, you motherfuckers!" My loud comment went unanswered.

I waited for the death rattle of several Hunters to stop resounding through the Hive Mind and contacted Nathan again.

_**We should probably get going. Cross is a bit demanding sometimes.**_

_Yeah. I'll meet you at the Custom House._

_**I think it'll be more fitting if we meet at the World Trade Center.**_

_Why?_

_**Well, I'm called a terrorist...**_

_Was that supposed to be a joke?_

_**I can't try?**_

_**

* * *

**_

The construction workers at the World Trade Center were surprised to see me show up. They were even more surprised when Nate glided in, settling quietly on the tip of the crane arm.

"Your landings are a lot softer than mine, Nathan."

"You're a lot heavier than I am, Alex. Let's go."

"You probably know the base better than I do. Lead the way."

* * *

Nathan led the way. At midnight, the base was bustling with activity. Helicopters taking off formed what seemed like a wave of blinking lights heading south-southwest towards Brooklyn. Cross was waiting somewhere, next to one of them.

I saw a spotlight shining down on one helicopter in particular.

"Nathan. I think that one's the one we're supposed to go to." I pointed, then turned on infected vision. "Okay, Cross is definitely there. I see a yellow splotch."

* * *

"Hey, cap'n! Good to see you haven't hit the morgue slab yet."

"Good to see you both."

"You, too, Cross. Should we be going now?"

"Yes. Corporal, get on the helicopter." Nathan got on the Iroquois. "Mercer, I need to talk to you about something else the Director wanted to know. It's slightly related to the deal, but it's not about any of us."

"I'm listening, Cross."

"Your sister. Dana. The Director was offering to put some scientists to work on her. She's not dead, if I remember correctly."

"But I'm not sure if she's infected or not. If she is, then the virus's incubation is taking far too long to be normal."

"That's why the Director is asking. We could learn a thing or two from her, and maybe even find a way to fix her in the process."

"Seeing as the Director is comfortable with giving me safe-conduct to Brooklyn, I think I can trust him with Dana. I assume you've told him where Dana is?"

"I haven't. Not yet, at least. He's probably aware of where she is, though. We should go."

"Agreed. I want to bash some infected skulls together."

* * *

The helicopter ride to Brooklyn was mostly uneventful. Nathan had, thankfully, brought along transmitters and his tools in order to set up a wireless network around the city, so the three of us could stay in contact. Blinking lights lit up the control board of the Iroquois, and I recognized them as I watched them light up and fade away.

"Alex, you look like you're familiar with this chopper."

"I've flown an Iroquois before. My first 'copter."

"Wow."

"Also flown an Apache and a Blackhawk."

"Really, now, Mercer? You fail to mention those were military property. And you crashed most of them."

"...And abandoned the rest. Well, you know what I mean."

* * *

"Alex, wake up. We're here."

I had somehow fallen asleep on the ride over. Something felt like... Bloodtox. Yet it didn't hurt me, and Nathan and Cross seemed to only be suffering a slight irritation. A pink cloud drifted by the open door of the helicopter. The pilot was on the ground, coughing and retching.

"Is he alright?"

"No idea, I'm not a doctor, Alex. Captain, any idea?"

"Unless he has asthma, I'd say I have no idea either. Corporal, check him for a rescue inhaler."

Nathan rummaged through the pilot's many pockets. A rescue inhaler fell out, wrapped in several aeronautical charts.

"There, Nathan. Hand it to him."

The pilot was still coughing, but Nathan managed to shoot a dose of the fine mist down the pilot's throat while he was inhaling.

"Done."

"Leave the pilot his inhaler and let's head inside. I imagine the Director wants to talk to us soon, but I need some sleep. I can't stay up like you, Mercer."

Nathan yawned. "I agree. Let's get some rest, Alex."

I let the other two try to find their way through the building while I stayed outside and watched the stars. On my first night in Manhattan, I could name a few constellations, but now, it seemed, the names came too easily. Had I consumed an astronomer in Manhattan accidentally? I tried to give myself a challenge again: naming all of the stars in each constellation. Again, it wasn't much of a challenge. I tried again: matching the structural formula of an organic compound to a series of stars in the night sky.

Memories of organic chemistry flooded back in a torrent of pain. I let my body slip down against the side of the movable steel building until I touched the ground. The excruciating pain almost caused me to lose consciousness again. But somehow, the voices that ordinarily swirled in my head seemed to rise up and dull the pain. I could feel something... someone pulling away some of the pain. Was it Nathan?

...No, it was too familiar to be Nathan. Could it be...?

[/6]

A/N: While I was writing the first part of this chapter, I ate... a burrito. Relevant, you ask? Not at all, except for the fact that I took a little more time to think about what to write. (since my hands were oily from the tortilla. Darn corn tortilla... now I have to wipe off my keyboard AGAIN)

If anyone's noticed yet, Alex, Nate, and Cross all refer to each other differently.

Alex: Cross says "Mercer" or "ZEUS", but Nate says "Alex" (except at the beginning, before Cross joins the main story).

Nathan: Alex says "Nathan", but Cross says "Nate" or "Corporal".

Cross: Alex says "Cross", but Nate says "Cap'n" or "Captain".

Just for your info ^^' I try to make some kind of indication who's talking in a conversation. Between two people's easy, since it's usually back-and-forth. With three people, it's a little harder, but using my handy guide above makes it a little easier, and I also tend to have characters use particular phrases more often. I avoid conversations with four or more people. It just gets too messy.

Cross uses "we" instead of "I" often. Nate uses more idioms and figures of speech than Alex or Cross. Alex... well, he's anti-social and otherwise talks less if he can get away with less.

... Oh, and that comment about "I know where the story will arc from here" in the author's note last chapter? Dead wrong. I was doing some more impromptu writing and I came up with this (and Chapter 7). So the plot will definitely take some more twists as I go along. I think this is going to turn into a rather long story. Maybe 15+ chapters? I don't actually have a plan for writing, I just... write. It all comes out roughly how I want it to be, anyways.

[6.5]

An unusually cold breeze blew into the Captain's face. Nathan watched as he closed his eyes and sighed. "This is a problem, Corporal."

"Alex passing out, or Alex in a coma?"

"Both. Both are bad things to think about."

"We should get on with setting up infrastructure here."

"I'll agree with that. We can worry about Alex later."

"Well, then, I'd probably be better off leaving. I need to go set up the network." The corporal turned to leave.

"Wait, Corporal. I... need to talk to you about something." Nathan looked over his shoulder.

"What is it, sir?"

"Well... You know how Alex is. He's not likely to hold back this time, since Dana is safe. Keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't destroy half of Brooklyn while he's at it."

"Yes sir!"

"And you don't need to be so... formal. When it's just between us and Alex, call me Robert."

"Cap'n..."

"I can't stand listening to 'Captain', 'Captain!', and 'Yes, sir, will do, sir!' all the time. Spare me."

"Yes, sir, yes sir, will do, sir!"

"Get out of my sight." Nathan marched out of his sight, color guard style.

Cross felt the buzz of caffeine deprivation start to annoy him. Endorphins could only suppress it for so long. "Where's my fucking coffee, Sergeant?"

A vaguely familiar shape appeared in the break room. A supersoldier, clearly, from the man's bulk. With the break room lights turned off, Cross couldn't make out any distinguishing features of the man. All that was obvious was he wasn't wearing a uniform, just boxers and slippers. As the man turned his head and walked out of the break room carrying a coffee pot, Cross tried not to flinch. The supersoldier from the hospital in Manhattan had, apparently, been transferred to Brooklyn.

"Coffee, sir?"

[/6.5]

A/N: Cross just has really bad days, doesn't he? ^^

This is a little hint at what happens next chapter. *grins* It's not in chronological order with the rest of the story (as it is here). It takes place during the "week and a half" in the next chapter.

Oh, and that "serious" comment from last chapter? Disregard that, it's more fun to make Cross squirm.


	7. Seven

A/N: Ah, yes. It's Wednesday. That means... new material. This is a double release with Chapter 6, so READ CH6 FIRST! Things will get confusing if you don't.

Oh, noes! Tragedy strikes.

[7]

**Hear me, ZEUS.** BLACKLIGHT. Again, it spoke.

"Fuck. What the hell do you want with me?"

_Alex? ...Augh!_

_**Nathan? Nathan!**_

**Leave the others behind. Go and find the rest of your past.**

"When I've finished with things here, I'll go. Now leave me fucking alone."

**Your memories return gradually, but not without pain. To retrieve all of them at once would benefit you greatly.**

"And I assume you have something to gain from me. Fuck you."

**Something to gain? My own survival, you mean.**

"I thought you were already surviving through me."

**In a non-infectious form. I need to multiply, spread myself so I cannot be bottled up like before. Freedom is a hard thing to take away, ZEUS. You, of all people, should know that.**

The dam holding back the waters broke. A torrent of pain accompanied visions of my past as they crashed down and smothered what was remaining of my consciousness. The pain was severe, even more so than memories I had retrieved in the past, and I blacked out.

* * *

I remember Cross and Nathan both tapping me on the shoulder. Nathan was reaching out through the Hive Mind, but I couldn't speak, neither in reality nor through the Hive Mind. I must have blacked out again, since the next thing I remember was staring at fluorescent lights, an IV stuck in my right arm and Nathan's tendrils stuck in the other, funneling biomass into me.

"Alex, you had us worried there. The Captain is speaking for us at the meeting right now, but I don't know how well it'll go. I had to teach the Captain how to use the Hive Mind."

I groaned and tried to roll over, but I found that Nathan was forcing me to stay still.

"How...?"

"Relax, Alex. You've been out of it for a week and a half."

"A week and a half?"

"Yeah. Seems the infection made it through the subway. It should be sealed off by now, but the entire system is shut down for safety."

"Ugh..."

"Take it easy, Alex. A lot of your biomass simply fell off and decayed when you blacked out. I'd say your landing is a lot lighter than mine now."

"Wait a minute."

"No, you wait a minute. I've been going out there and slaughtering infected, but I haven't been able to find the Runner. I don't understand what's going on here in Brooklyn, but it seems there might not be a Runner. What's more, the Hives are all underground. Blackwatch can't get at them efficiently. We could use you out there right now."

"So what's stopping me?"

"...The fact that the virus is almost entirely gone from your body." The room was silent.

"Fuck."

"Right now, you're barely even alive. The only reason you're talking right now is because I'm funneling biomass into you. Otherwise, you're exactly like Dana. Completely out cold, in a coma."

"And... my body is burning through biomass to survive." It dawned on me then. "Dana ran out of biomass a long time ago."

"Yes. Your situation is not unlike Dana's now."

"Did Blackwatch offer any advice?"

"No. I'm... sorry, Alex. I thought you were independent and all, but I guess... I guess you still need someone else's support all the time."

"Nathan? Is it possible for you to do the weapon thing? You know, turn into a blob on my arm? So I can get around, pay Ragland a visit?"

"It's worth a try."

Nathan's body took on a metallic sheen and warped into a sword. I guided him into my hand and moved to remove the IV's.

"Ow."

_Careful, Alex. You're a lot more fragile now than you were before._

I tried my most familiar abilities. My blade-arm was heavy, unwieldy even. Claws lacked the dexterity they had before. Whipfist was not even half as long as before, virtually useless as a long-range weapon.

"This fucking blows."

_You've lost pretty much everything, Alex. The shield might be the only thing you have left._

"Ironic, isn't it?"

_Ironic?_

"Ironic, because just a few weeks ago, I was trying to show you how to use things other than the shield."

_Right._

"Where's the biomass that fell off of me being kept?"

"Storage room, Building 2. Good to see you awake, Mercer. I can see Nathan agreed to help you." Cross was standing in the door.

"Cross. I thought you were in a meeting."

"I finished up. The Director is worried about your viability as the solution against the infected threat." He shifted his weight back and forth. Was he feeling uneasy?

"And I'm worried about whether I'll survive all of this or not."

"You'll find a way. You survived a nuke, after all."

"I'm talking about the virus deciding to ditch me as a host and find someone else."

"Make yourself a willing host again."

"How, makeup and lipstick? I try not to be a drag queen. I'm also not a girl." I tried to laugh, but it came out forced and unnatural.

"Though sometimes you dress like one."

"Hey, that's to slip through Blackwatch's nets."

"It'll be better once you are off and running again. I worry, as well. If this deal falls through, we're all going to end up on the morgue slab."

"I'm aware of that. I want to be alive when all of this is over."

"The virus doesn't have a sense of self-preservation, or so Nathan tells me."

_It doesn't. Otherwise, Alex wouldn't have been out there in Manhattan consuming Hunters in front of a caravan of M1's._

"I already knew that, Corporal. Keep in mind I met Mercer in a tank. I don't know what it is with him, but every time he sees a tank, he wants to blow it up."

"Hey!" I pushed a angry burst towards Cross through the Hive Mind.

_Alex..._

"And I was half expecting that, Mercer."

"...So you can listen in on the Hive Mind, can you?"

"But I can't broadcast my thoughts to others in the Hive Mind yet. A minor inconvenience, but at least I can't spoil any plans or anything like that."

"Nathan, did you set up the network?"

_Mm-hmm. It's all up and running. Even connects to the one in Manhattan. I set up a link through the subway. Hopefully, someone can put it to good use._

"One of you two, show me where that biomass is being kept. I want to head back to Manhattan to recover. Ragland has a few of my blood samples from before this whole problem came up, so maybe I can convince him to run a few more tests.

_I'll show you._

"Well, Cross, I guess I'll see you later. I need to see Ragland. I'm still not comfortable putting my life in some Blackwatch scientist's hands."

"Don't die on me, Mercer."

* * *

"Alex. This is a pleasant surprise. Some Blackwatch soldiers came by and informed me you were heading to Brooklyn."

"And I hit a problem there. For some reason, my body can't hold onto the virus like it did before. I need a blood transfusion using one of the samples you took before."

"What do you mean?"

"I lose consciousness when I don't have any more biomass to burn through. It's the same affliction as Dana."

"And you're sure about this, Alex?"

"Blackwatch already confirmed it."

"I see. I'll get one of the recent blood samples ready." Ragland shuffled off, muttering something about "young people these days" and "... stop acting on instinct".

_Funny, this meeting._

"Because it's exactly like when you were being treated for the first time? Yeah, it's funny how the roles are reversed this time."

* * *

Ragland returned carrying a sealed pouch of blood. He hooked it onto a IV stand and handed me the needle.

"Ragland, I'm too weak even to make tendrils. I'm fairly sure, anyways."

"I don't want to take a chance with it."

"Fine. Nathan, I think it's time for you to handle it." Nathan's biomass squeezed at my shoulder and separated from my arm. He reformed his body in front of me, a tendril from his back still stuck in my shoulder.

"... Alright, Alex." He poked the needle into a very thin vein.

"That might not work, Nathan."

"Fuck. Sorry, Alex. I'm not a doctor."

I pointed at the median cubital vein showing faintly through my skin. "Try that one."

Nathan tried. He was clearly an amateur. "Pull up on it a little, make sure it's a vein. If it is, a little bit of blood will come up."

"I'm trying, I'm trying." Nathan still wasn't doing it correctly.

"Give it to me, Nathan." Ragland offered his hand. He guided the cannula carefully into the large vein in the elbow.

"There we go. Nathan, I thought everyone in the military at least knows how to handle some medical equipment..."

"Well, I spent 6 months in the Marines. Not exactly long enough to learn how to wield this stuff before I got transferred into Blackwatch."

"And you spent five and a half years with Blackwatch. Don't they teach you how to handle syringes in Blackwatch? I thought even soldiers had to help out with experiments occasionally."

"Only in the research facilities. I was part of Eradication, not Research."

"Alex, I'm turning on the drip." Ragland clipped the tube into place, and the red fluid in the bag began to run down through the tube. I tried infected vision. The bag was a blinding white, and my own body was blue. Barely infected, comparable to any ordinary human in viral content. The liquid flowing down the tube looked white-hot as it reached the needle. A jolt of pain came when the virus came in contact with previously-infected biomass. My arm jumped up and suddenly turned into a blade. Nathan used what he could muster together to hold me down, but the virus's reawakening in me proved a bit too strong for him. Ragland wisely backed out of the room.

"Argh..."

"Alex, what the hell is going on?"

"It's... it's all coming back to me."

"Your abilities?" Tendrils reached out from my back and flailed around, one of them slapping Nathan across the face and drawing a thin line of blood. "Ow."

"I guess. Maybe new powers awakening?" I was practically screaming in pain.

"I've seen a lot, Alex, and Cross has too. But I've never seen this, and I don't think I'll ever see anything like this again." Nathan tried again to hold me down.

"Nathan, I have no idea what BLACKLIGHT is capable of, either. All I know is it has room to grow. And I can fill those shoes." I had to let out a gasp of pain. "Goddamnit! This fucking hurts!"

"And because I've got the same virus, I can learn too. Is that what you mean to tell me, Alex?" Nathan jumped on top of me to hold me down.

"I mean, after this is all over, I don't think I would mind wearing a Blackwatch uniform. As myself, that is." Tendrils stabbed into Nathan's body, greedily stealing some biomass.

"Darwin would be rolling around in his grave."

"Darwin can go to hell. Evolution doesn't happen over millions of years anymore." My blade-arm turned back to normal, and I drew Nathan into an uncomfortable embrace.

"Yeah, now it's a day at a time." Nathan struggled a bit as the tendrils held him in place

"I like the sound of that." The tendrils on my back started to calm down, and the excruciating pain that throbbed in my head started to subside. "I think it's starting to finish up."

"Can you let go of me now? Is Ragland looking?"

"Yes, and no, he's probably gone to check on some other patients." I let Nathan go, but the tendrils from my back refused to let go. "What the fuck. Let go, fucking tentacles."

"It's trying to return some biomass. Hold on." My senses had been numbed, so I couldn't feel anything.

"Sorry, Nathan. I can barely feel anything right now over this throbbing headache and the ringing in my ears from the pain."

"I think it'll be good for you to get out there and slaughter some Hunters with me."

"I would agree with that." The tendrils decided to let go.

"Time to go, then. Alex, it'll be good after a week or so of killing things to go at it with someone else at my side."

[/7]

A/N: Tragedy... averted. Alex survives yet another catastrophe. Did anyone notice I made Alex and Nate switch roles?

Oh, yeah. I noticed that I had left anonymous reviews off. Oops. It's now online, so all you anonymous people who don't want people to know who you are (or are just at work/school/otherwise serious location reading fanfiction, tsk tsk) can post your reviews now.

[7.5]

Just like before, the supersoldier went to work. After breaking free of a bone-breaking hold, Chinese water torture by scalding coffee, and another vomiting episode involving a hairy torso, Cross felt slightly better. At least he had gotten some caffeine for the rest of a tiring day. He didn't feel like going to sleep for the rest of the night.

Cross shivered a bit when the wind blew. New York wasn't ordinarily this cold, and if it was because of some "nuclear winter" effect left over from the nuke Mercer saved New York from, he was going to ask Mercer to find him a thick jacket to wear.

He wandered around outside, waiting for the sky to lighten into the dark blue shade that signaled the start of a new day. Five o'clock would arrive soon, but time seemed to move so slowly.

"Fuck, it's cold."

His exasperated comment was only made worse by the unnatural cold snap. Early September, as he had looked up, averaged near 65 degrees at night. It felt closer to 40 degrees. It didn't even exceed 65 degrees during the daytime.

"Fuck."

Cross wanted to head inside, but he was sure the supersoldier hadn't yet gone to sleep. He could still hear rummaging around in the break room from the small window that was open. Steam billowed out from the vent on the roof. Cross stared back down at his watch.

2:18 AM. "Fucking hell." Another two hours.

Cross forced himself to come to a decision. Go in and face the coffee monster, or stay outside and freeze to death. He was a bit tired, and lying down, even without sleep, would be a good thing.

He opened the door and waited for the half-nelson.

* * *

A very heavily bruised Cross collapsed on the squeaky cot. It didn't matter that a spring was jamming itself into his forehead, nor did it matter that the pillow was entirely missing. He had a bed to sleep on.

"Captain Cross? Are you staying here?"

Cross forced himself to look. The soldier on the top bunk was peering down at him over the side of the bed.

"Yeah, I'm staying here. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Jason puked there last night."

"Oh, fuck it."

[/7.5]

A/N: Cross goes from one bad day to another. lol.

Like Chapter 6.5, this all happens during the "week and a half" mentioned earlier in this chapter.

I'm using US customary units here, so for everyone else's enlightenment, 65 degrees Fahrenheit is approximately 18-19 degrees Celsius. 40 degrees Fahrenheit is approximately 4-5 degrees Celsius.


	8. Lord of Lies

Lord of Lies

A/N: Augh, new character added to the mix right at the end of this chapter. No real major plot pieces that'll get important with him. (hopefully)

There will be a few more characters introduced, but as far as it goes, I won't be making them front and center like the trio.

[8]

Running around Manhattan with Nathan leading the way had a different feeling.

"Come on, Alex." Nathan had changed. He seemed cheerful on the surface, but I could feel something nagging at him from the inside.

"Nathan, you're trying to hide something."

"... Uh, no. I'm not hiding anything."

"Something's wrong, though. I can feel some sort of unease coming through the Hive Mind, and the infected don't have the ability to express emotions through the Hive Mind. That means it's either from the Runner, who you said is nonexistent, or one of us. I can tell if it's myself, and you said that Cross couldn't express himself through the Hive Mind yet."

"... Oh, all right. You got me."

"So what's wrong with you?"

"... Blackwatch threatened me."

"With what?"

"Jason."

"Jason? Your friend?"

"Yeah. We're childhood friends, and he's the one who got me into Blackwatch."

"So, that's what's bugging you."

"He's as important to me as Dana is to you. I don't have any siblings, but Jason was like a brother to me when I was growing up in Seattle."

"And I'm assuming Blackwatch moved Jason somewhere you don't have access to?"

"All they said was that I had to guarantee that the three of us, Cross and you and I, have to get it all done within a month."

"I knew the Director was up to no good."

"I was a bit wary at first, but Cross assured me nothing was wrong."

"Whether Cross is involved or not isn't what worries me. It's the fact that you're depressed again. I don't think mac and cheese is going to help this time around, and I'm not checking Cross into a hospital again."

"Now's not a time for jokes, Alex." Nathan had a smile on his face.

"I can't try to cheer you up a little?"

"Not when someone I care about that much is likely to be forced into D-Code! I've heard what happens to those guys. I've seen what they do." His smile turned around into a frown.

"Have you asked Cross about it yet?"

"I'm afraid how he'll react."

"Inform him over the Hive Mind."

_Captain, if you're listening,... There's some new developments in the situation that Alex and I need to talk to you about._

_

* * *

_

Nathan and I headed back to the safe house and waited for a message from Cross. After waiting two hours, Nathan decided to go out and find food in order to get his mind off of his troubles.

_**Hasn't replied yet, Nathan. Wonder if he just wasn't listening?**_

_I made him swear to pay attention to the Hive Mind. There shouldn't be any reason he hasn't replied by now, unless he lost his computer._

_**I left another one under the box at the lookout before we left.**_

_Though he might not know you left another one there._

_**I'll try it this time.**_

_Sure._

_**Cross, if you're out there listening, respond, please. Nathan and I need to discuss some developments with you.**_

_**

* * *

**_

[07:33:40]enigma308: Cross, you there?

* * *

I waited another five minutes.

_**Well, Nathan, time to try his mobile.**_

_Agreed. I'm at the market, you want corn?_

_**Sure. **_

I dialed in Cross's number and waited three rings. Five. Seven. Ten. He still didn't respond.

_**Nothing, Nathan. You think he just disappeared off the face of the planet?**_

_I doubt it, but... maybe he's been hit by the coma thing, too._

_**His abilities aren't developed like ours. Not yet, at least.**_

_Uh... actually, Alex, I shouldn't lie to you. I taught him everything I knew._

_**So that week and a half I was in a coma, you were teaching Cross how to use the virus's capabilities?**_

_Um... yeah. He was lying to you when he said he couldn't speak to others using the Hive Mind._

_**Fuck. Lying bastard, as always.**_

_Have you lied to me in the past?_

_**Well... if I did, I didn't mean it.**_

_Thanks, Alex._

_**As for Cross, I'm going to make sure he stays in the hospital for at least a month this time around.**_

_Uh... You don't really need to do that, you know._

_

* * *

_

Nathan and I stayed hidden for the next two days. Periodically, one of us would journey into the subways and investigate, but since Blackwatch had sent hundreds of UAVs into the air to patrol Manhattan, the subway became the easiest way for us to get around without attracting attention.

_**How long are we going to stay like this? With Blackwatch focusing on the infection, it'll eventually get cleared out, and then we're going to get tracked down and killed for not holding up our end of the bargain.**_

_Did you go to the lookout point yet?_

_**That's my next stop. Where are you?**_

_West Harlem._

_**Are the infected going after you?**_

_No._

_**Are you anywhere near them?**_

_Yes. The hive is a block away. I'm debating whether I should go by rooftop or at street level._

_**Subway if you can. You know the drill.**_

_Yeah. You at home?_

_**No, I'm keeping an eye on Battery Park. Nothing out of the ordinary, though.**_

_Nothing? I expect Blackwatch is planning a surprise._

_**I agree. Something must be happening. Maybe in Brooklyn?**_

_Possibly. I'm going to try and get back in touch with Cross. See if he responds._

_**Do it.**_

_Captain, if you're listening, please respond. We're still waiting around for a response._

_**... And nothing. As usual. I'm heading over to Brooklyn. If Cross is passed out somewhere in the subways, then I'll find him eventually.**_

_Hold on, Alex. I'll go as well._

_

* * *

_

Three hours and forty or so minutes after Nathan and I met inside Penn Station, we plunged into the deep abyss of the subway. Infected horrors awaited us, as usual. The infection had not yet moved out of the Bloodtox-soaked ground, so periodically, mobs of Hunters and Walkers passed us by. Nathan's abilities came in handy, and with a shield in one hand and Nathan/halberd in the other, I bashed and slashed a way through tangled masses of infected vines that sporadically blocked the way.

_Yick. Infected rat._

"I'm not even bothering to get close, Nathan. Stop squealing."

_I'm not._

"You are. Can you tell where Cross is?"

_No. The Hive Mind isn't registering anything, no blips to represent the Captain._

"Shit. You sure he isn't just out of range?"

_If he's out of range, that means he's also likely dead._

"True. Where did you see him last?"

_He was sleeping in the barracks in Brooklyn._

"Then that's where we should investigate first."

* * *

The base was empty. Blackhawks and Apaches sat on the tarmac, a thin layer of dust revealing the amount of time that had passed.

Nathan had gone inside to check the barracks. Nighttime was a good time to do investigation around the camp.

_Alex! Get in here._

_**What is it?**_

_Everyone's... dead._

_**Dead?**_

_Cross is here._

_**But he shouldn't be dead. Try doing the same thing you did with me to bring me back to life.**_

_Right..._

_**Just do it. I'll be in there once I brew some coffee for Cross.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Oh, man. I need coffee." I could hear Cross's grumbling three rooms away.

"Hey, cap'n. Looks like something happened here. You fall asleep or something?"

"Seems like a longer nap than I anticipated..."

"Alex is brewing some coffee right now. He'll be right over."

"I... I feel so sleepy... Corporal, can you find me some blankets?"

"No. You're suffering from the same effect that Alex went through that week a while ago. You went into a coma. Everyone else here is probably also infected and in a coma, thanks to you."

"What? How?"

"For now, Alex and I need to get you to Ragland's. Alex's blood should work to fix you up." I made my way out of the break room and into the room.

"So, Cross, feeling okay?"

"Maybe better after some coffee."

"Hold on, Cross." I pushed my tendrils into Cross's shoulder and began to funnel a bit of my own biomass into Cross.

"That fucking hurts, Mercer."

"Nathan, I need you to make me bleed."

"Bleed?"

"Just give my hand a cut or something. That way Cross can get fixed up here and now."

"Right." Nathan tried to draw his arm into a blade, but... couldn't. "What the fucking hell? I coulda swore that was how I did it a moment ago..."

"This is not good. Let's go, Ragland can fix you both up."

"I see stars, Mercer."

"Yeah, it's been a few days already since you were last awake."

"And I need coffee."

"To hell with coffee."

"I need my fucking coffee, Mercer." Cross was whining.

"Not when you're in a coma. Nathan, do you mind?" Nathan, looking clearly annoyed, withdrew his tendrils, and Cross promptly lapsed back into a coma. "Now, help me get him on a helicopter while he's still quiet."

* * *

"Alex, you're back again. And with a body in tow, as well."

"I need you to do two more transfusions."

"Two more?"

"Nathan and Cross."

"What's wrong with them? I can understand your friend, but Nathan as well?"

"Both of them are being affected by that biomass-draining effect. Cross is already in a coma, and Nathan can't use his abilities anymore." I was trying to get my point across as fast as I could.

"I don't think I understand what you're trying to say."

"Just... give me two blood samples."

Ragland left to find what samples he had left in storage.

"And I always have to explain things twice with him or tell him it's urgent."

"Well, Alex, I think I need some biomass right about now. I'm feeling a little light-headed."

Wordlessly, I connected my tendrils to Nathan and pushed a bit of biomass into him. I switched to infected vision and looked. A sickly green, and quickly dropping through turquoise and cyan to the deep blue I had seen myself with before.

"You don't look so hot, Nathan."  
"I'm not feeling great right now, Alex. I feel like throwing up."

"Don't do it like Greene and make another Supreme Hunter for me to dispose of."

"I don't think I can even do that."

"Throw up?"

"No."

"I get what you mean. You're not strong enough."

"No, I mean the virus isn't as closely tied to me as it is to you."

"What? ...I see. You think I'm the first host for the virus, its foremost creation."

"And any creation afterwards can't live up to your name."

"Which name? ZEUS, the god of gods, or Alexander J. Mercer, slightly insane serial killer and treacherous sociopath? Last time I checked I don't throw lightning bolts down from the sky, so I must be Alex Mercer."

"I mean ZEUS."

"I mean 'Dr. Alexander J. Mercer', as the GENTEK name tag I used to wear states. I'm not that much different from 'Cpl. Nathan Charus', if you wore a name tag as well."

"You mean it?"

"And if we're alike, then 'Capt. Robert Cross' isn't too far away either."

"Thanks, Alex."

"You can thank me later when you're feeling better. TV dinners tonight, Nathan. We'll be too busy getting Cross his coffee."

* * *

Nathan fell asleep as soon as soon as he managed to find the couch and collapse on it. I set Cross down on Dana's bed and took out three TV dinners from the freezer. Dana had found them somewhere when she had been setting up the safe house. I looked at the expiration dates: 1/19/05, 3/6/04, 9/2/08. At least one was only recently expired. I tucked the semi-fresh dinner into a convenient cabinet and put on a pot of coffee, then prepared to leave.

Nathan had, while I was busy in the kitchen, rolled off the couch and hit the floor. I didn't even notice the thump as he landed, face first, in the thin carpet. I moved him back on the couch and used a chair to keep him from falling off again.

* * *

With Nathan and Cross hidden in the safe house, I left. If I had brought Cross to the safe house, he could easily spoil its location to Blackwatch, and then we would be at the mercy of the Director unless I could find another place to stay. Without Dana, my chances of finding such a place dropped significantly. Yet Ragland had left a message on the voicemail in the safe house stating that Blackwatch had already stopped by, taking Dana with them. Did they honestly mean to cure her, or did they mean to use what was left of her as an experiment? A way to salvage Greene's virus, or an honest attempt at getting my help? Without Nathan or Cross planted on the inside, I couldn't be sure.

The phone in my pocket buzzed.

"Hello?"

"Mercer, we have never spoken to each other before. I am the Director."

"I imagine an enigmatic and mysterious man, standing in the shadows at a desk illuminated by a single light."

"Close enough, Mercer. I see you have a sense of humor."

"Only good enough for practical jokes and the occasional odd comment. You, on the other hand, must be an idiot to threaten Nathan."

"Threaten Corporal Charus? I don't remember ordering that, and General Bowen and Colonel Hanson are both under constant scrutiny. I cannot believe that they made the order."

"Then who? Who threatened Nathan?"

"A lower ranking officer, most likely. Perhaps one still sympathetic to Colonel Taggart's ideas."

"And I assume news of Randall's and Taggart's deaths have been making their way around in New York?"

"Someone would have discovered their mysterious disappearance and reported it. That would simultaneously create rumors, and rumors are simple to spread. If it will make it any easier to do your job, I can send an auditing team out."

"Fine. In the meantime, how will I contact your General Bowen and Colonel Hanson?"

"They are stationed currently in Battery Park."

"And I want to ask a question and get an honest answer."

"Yes?"

"Do you intend on using Dana in any experiments, or strictly for analysis of her current state?"

"Data gathering only. I have made it clear with the research teams."

"Thank you, sir."

"Thank me when Penn Station and New York are part of your past."

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention. The entire Brooklyn base is knocked out. I don't know if it's the same coma effect that affected the three of us here, but if it is... I'm afraid we may have become contagious."

[/8]

A/N: Yes, US-style dates. It's MM/DD/YY, not DD/MM/YY.

Names for the General and Colonel came from two islands.

Hmm... This is a very open-ended chapter. It could be interpreted a lot of ways...

The Director DOESN'T USE CONTRACTIONS. OMG! AWKWARD!

[8.5]

When Cross awoke on a comfortable bed, his first thought was that he had died and was now lying face-down in a cloud. The sheets were certainly clean and smelled like laundry detergent. Cross moved around a little and found a black comforter. Soft.

At least, until it warped in his hands and slapped him across the face.

"What the fuck..."

The corporal was grinning.

"Is this your idea of a joke, Cherry?"

"Well, Alex isn't here. Otherwise, he'd probably be frowning at me right now."

"I'm hungry."

"Me too. Alex left some TV dinners out to defrost, but it's still mostly frozen right now."

"Any idea when Mercer will be back, Corporal?"

"Nope. I don't want to bother him over the Hive Mind. Not now, at least. I'm sure he's doing something productive."

Cross got up from bed. "Where are we?"  
"This is the safe house that Alex and I have been staying in for a while. It's borrowed from one of Dana's friends."

"So we can't trash the place."

"No, we can't. Alex told me we've got until June next year to move out. That is, if Dana's friends can come back by then."

"Anything else to eat other than TV dinners?"

"I'm not cooking tonight. If you really want to go out, I can take you somewhere, but I think we should both rest and recover."

"What is there to do here then, Corporal?"

"Alex did find a PS3 somewhere. I'm sure there's something to do. Actually, this seems like a good time to start playing some new stuff I didn't get to play before. Army of Two's been on my list for a while."

"I'll act as if I know what you're talking about, Corporal."

"Unless you want to watch soap operas or the news all night..."

"... Actually, Army of Two sounds nice."

Nathan opened the cabinet. "Hey, Alex actually got it! F.E.A.R. as well! I don't know how he learned of this stuff, but he knows what to look for."

"You're a gamer, Corporal?"  
"Heck yes. I only joined the military because some recruiter heard me playing America's Army and asked."

"I heard that a friend of yours hooked you over into Blackwatch."

"That would be Jason. Right now, I have no idea where he is. Someone made him disappear."

"I would know that much. You and Alex found me on his bed. Someone told me he had puked on the bed the night before."

"... Captain, someone threatened to kill Jason if the whole New York infection wasn't contained by Sunday."

"Then we should ask Mercer about it."

"Not now. I think it'll be better if we don't make him worry about us too much and cause him to lose his concentration. He's probably fighting some hive right now."

[/8.5]

A/N: Hmm... just as open-ended as the main story... I've gotta leave things on cliffhangers instead of this kind of half-open, half-closed story arcs. *sigh*


	9. Dream Thieves

Sonata Arctica - Dream Thieves

A/N: Crap. I noticed going over previous chapters that I accidentally had Cross say (once) "Alex", not "Mercer". Oops. This has not yet been fixed, but will be soon.

[9]

Over the phone, the Director was silent. I heard the clicking of an office toy start, then stop. A very uneasy silence followed.

"I'm off to see Ragland right now, since he's the only person we've come in close contact with since we found Cross passed out in Brooklyn."

"Leave a note at the Battery Park base for the General detailing everything you discover."

"Fine with me."

"And do refrain from killing perfectly good soldiers, Mercer."

"I pick out the ones that are already infected, Director. As for Nathan and Cross, you'll have to ask them about their policies."

"Best of luck to all of you. And remember to leave a note at Battery Park."

"I will."

The Director hung up. I thought about what Cross had told me in passing on the helicopter before I fell asleep. He had told me that only he used his cell phones, and only he knew how to connect to any particular one. If the Director had contacted me and not rung every other one of Cross's phones, then Cross must have accidentally let slip how his phones work.

That, or Cross deliberately let the Director know.

The thought of Cross being in cahoots with the Director sent shivers down my spine. I needed to be careful, since if Nathan had taught Cross how to listen to the Hive Mind, then he would be able to hear anything I sent out. I couldn't let my self-control slip for even a moment now.

With these disturbing thoughts crowding out the voices in my head, I took off for Ragland's.

* * *

I used infected vision to look around the third floor. No yellow or white. Fourth floor. Nothing. Fifth floor. Zip, zilch, nada. So there wasn't any contamination. Good.

Ragland came up to me when I was walking down the stairs from the fifth floor. "Alex, is there something wrong?"

"I just thought that Cross, Nathan, and I might have become contagious. From the looks of it, though, you're not infected, so that must mean we're not contagious. Yet."

Ragland breathed a sigh of relief. "I got a message from GENTEK saying that they've finished up with examining Dana."

"Really? That's great. Now, I need you to take a sample of my blood so I can go give it to the GENTEK people. Then Dana can wake up, and I can be happy until some Leader blindsides me like a Mack truck."

"Then let's go, Alex."

Ragland led me to an examination room. "Sit down." He removed a needle. "You'll feel a bit of a pinch, and well, you know the rest."

* * *

With a slightly sore arm, I took out the laptop from my backpack. No messages from anyone. No messages on Cross's mobile, either. I had been out two hours already, and Nathan and Cross should have already woken up. I set out to accumulate some biomass for them. Helicopters buzzed as I ran and jumped my way through Harlem, only to discover... the hives were gone. The buildings stood, entirely uninfected. Something... was very, very wrong.

At every location where there had once been a hive, an uninfected building stood. The infection wasn't so orderly that it could infect a building without showing it visibly on the outside, so something had changed. I could still hear voices from infected people over the Hive Mind, but... they were faint and far away? No... Did the infection move off of Manhattan? Did it manage to move through the subways into Brooklyn? into Queens? Could it have pushed through the ground across the Hudson? Might it have escaped, or found a new "Greene" to lead it?

A jumble of thoughts came in over the Hive Mind, the other infected mirroring my insecurity. To say the least, the infected were excited about something. What it was, I wasn't sure, though it wasn't anything I couldn't learn from beating up a few Hunters. But Dana was my first priority. I could get the note to Battery Park later.

* * *

The receptionist at the front desk was surprised to see me walk in. GENTEK had, thanks to Blackwatch, been secured and mostly cleaned up, and most of the employees were luckily out of the building when Greene struck. The only people I noticed were new were the janitors. Nothing to worry too much about.

But as I slid the card the receptionist pushed over the counter to me through the slot in the elevator, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. GENTEK was as unimposing a company on the outside as any other company that took up a good portion of a city block in Manhattan. I wasn't looking forward to meeting old colleagues, but Dana was somewhere in the building.

A pink sticky note covered the button marked "51". The same floor that I had found Greene on. I took it as a sign and pushed it.

The doors closed, and ninety seconds later, they reopened to a dark floor. Two lights were on, a floodlight on Dana and another on a desk with a laptop on it. All of it was enclosed in the glass prison that Greene had once been held in, but when I walked in, I could smell the sharp pungent scent of rubbing alcohol. At least a hundred gallons of it.

A few scientists were moving around, scratching away on notepads or clipboards. I found an IV rack, dragged it over next to the bed Dana had been set on, and hung the bag of my blood from it. One of the scientists prepared a needle for it. I looked at the laptop on the desk. It was blinking red.

I moved my finger across the touchpad and watched as it opened a messaging system. I was surprised when a small paperweight next to the computer flashed and created a holographic image floating in the air.

A head appeared, but the face had been deliberately blanked out.

"Mercer, you cannot see my face. This is a safeguard to protect my identity, at least until we can meet face-to-face. If we ever do." The Director.

"Well, sir, if you're talking to me, then I guess you expected me to come here before dropping off my findings at Battery Park."

"I took a guess."

"And guessed correctly. So, is there a reason for starting a video chat?" I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the scientist handling the needle had finished, and was preparing to push it into place.

"About Dana, you realize that if you use your blood as a cure for her coma, she will be infected."

"She was already infected. That happened back when Greene sent a Leader Hunter to kidnap her. She just has so little left that the only way to wake her up is to give a dose of the virus. And an easy source of the virus is blood from me or Nathan or Cross."

"I see. But you realize also that she is female?"

"Meaning...?"

"She could become another Runner."

"Aren't Nathan, Cross, and I already considered Runners?"

"But with a distinct difference. You cannot create Hives, nor can you lead infected."

"You're implying that if she is cured of her coma condition, she could become another Greene?"

"In short, yes."

"Fuck." The scientist had already started the drip. "Hey! Pull it out!"

The scientist looked at me, then back at Dana. He seemed unsure of what was going on.

"I said pull the IV out! Hurry, before my blood gets in her!" I switched to infected vision. I could hear voices, all clamoring happily, from the infected. The white-hot liquid was a inch away... half an inch... quarter...

I moved as quickly as I could. I felt my blade-arm forming, and I swung it around and around. It neatly caught the tube carrying my blood and severed it. But the blood had reached the needle and entered Dana. Was I too late... again?

I backed away a few steps, a cue to the scientist standing next to Dana to do the same. But it seems he never got my hint, lost in his job of observing and taking notes about Dana. I had to yank the idiot away.

[/9]

A/N: The scene with Alex first seeing Dana's body inside GENTEK is based off of the initial scene for another fanfic idea I had for Prototype. (but I ultimately scrapped that idea, not enough plot and too much gore/violence)

1 gallon = approximately 3.84 liters. Hopefully that gives non-Americans an idea of how much it is.

Aiiii... that's my kind of cliffhanger. Gotta wait for Chapter 10!

[9.5]

"Where the hell is he?" Cross was growing impatient.

"I can't sense Alex over this stupid crowd of infected voices."

_SHUT THE FUCK UP, STUPID INFECTED IDIOTS!_

"They seem happy about something, Corporal."

"Well, then maybe they can choose not to broadcast it to the whole world?"

"Mmm, that TV dinner was good."

"It was also expired. From the box, it says four years ago."

"Uh..."

"If it's got any foodborne illnesses on it, the virus'll take care of it."

"You sure about that?"

"Seeing as it infects pretty much everything and changes your cellular structure beyond recognition, I'd say you're safe."

"You know anything else about the virus?"

"Only what Alex has shared with me."

"Care to tell me, then, Corporal?"

"What?" Cross looked unsure.

"I mean, Alex told me in his own way, which involves a huge amount of pain."

"And let me guess. Tendrils?"

"How did you guess? I mean, it's his solution to everything. Pain, mutilation, death, tendrils... you know the drill. I'll take a guess at how he met you after the nuke: tendrils through the chest?"

"I'd rather not think about it."

"How many? Eight? Twelve?"

"I said I'd rather not think about it, Corporal."

"I can't have any fun?"

"No."

"Then I'm heading out. Figure out what I was trying to explain earlier while I'm gone."

"Whatever. I didn't even pay attention to half of what you said."

"See ya then." Nathan opened the door to the roof and walked out.

Cross just let out a grunt and watched as Nathan walked out onto the roof. Out of nowhere, a Leader Hunter blindsided Nathan like a Mack truck.

Cross was stunned for a moment, then managed to pick himself up off of the couch and move to the door. Outside, he could see that Nathan had killed the Leader Hunter and was now carving it. Cross let out a low whistle.

"Surprised, Captain? I didn't expect one of these things to find us here, but I guess it's something to bring up with Alex later."

"...What is that thing?"

"Have you been lying in a hospital for too long, Captain?"

"I think so."

"Leader Hunter. It 'leads' other Hunters and tells them what to do. They started showing up only a month ago."

"Meaning I should have seen one by now."

"They only come out when the infected are actually trying to cause major destruction."

"So what would be the reason behind this?"

"Uh... fooling around?"

[/9.5]

A/N: *bursts out laughing* BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Someone had to take it, and I've abused Cross enough these last few chapters... "Like a Mack truck." rofl.


	10. Death of a Dream

A/N: Yay, the fun stuff begins. The real antagonist?... still unclear, though you might be able to guess.

References again. w00t. I just had to reference Mordecai from Borderlands, since his lines are just so funny.

"Boom!"

Don't complain about 10.5, it's all for a reason. *grins*

...And I'm changing my upload day to Saturday. School's started where I live, so I don't want to be posting on a weeknight and letting it get in the way of my schoolwork.

[10]

Dana... quivered. The convulsions ended a short second later. I looked around for a Blackwatch uniform, the glint of a hand carrying an M16 I could ask for help. If only I had gone back to the safe house and brought Nathan and Cross along, maybe I wouldn't be in such a bind now.

From the looks of it, though, Dana's body was becoming infected again with the virus, but remained unconscious. From the looks of it, she was recovering just like Cross earlier. I headed back to the computer.

"Mercer, did you stop it?"

"I don't think I did, but Dana's still unconscious."

"Then I will send some people from Battery Park to ensure she cannot escape."

"I think I'll stay here until then. Unless you want me to take more drastic measures..."

"I do not think your 'more drastic measures' will be necessary, not unless your sister wakes up before the soldiers arrive."

"Then I'll remain here just in case."

"Where are Corporal Charus and Captain Cross?"

"Left them at the safe house."

"Safe house?"

"One of Dana's friend's apartments. It just so happens that her friend is gone for the whole year."

"That is awfully convenient."

"Yeah. I'm not yet willing to reveal the location of the safe house, though, just as you apparently don't feel comfortable revealing your face to me."

"My face is not known to anyone outside the highest levels of Blackwatch. It makes it easier for me to walk around amongst any of our many divisions unnoticed."

"I see. Now, as I'm sure you're wondering, you want a cure."

"Of course."

"Then I'm willing to work on one."

"Using samples of your particular strain of the virus?"

"No, by risking my ass and retrieving samples from underground personally. I want to work on the cure myself. At least I'll be practicing a useful skill for the future. Of course, I don't want any funny business being done to the cure, so by working on it myself, I'll also know exactly what's going into it."

"So the virus does have a sense of self-preservation... the scientists have told me otherwise."

"No, the self-preservation part is the other personas I've consumed telling me to be careful."

"Ah, well, then the scientists were right anyways. If you are going to work on the cure, then you will need a team of people to work with you."

"My old team from before Penn Station. They'll know what to do, and I've consumed enough people to know how to make a cure. Besides that, I want a counter-cure to administer to myself and to offer to Nathan and Cross."

"Why is that?"

"I've already died once. I don't want to risk it again, and I rather like my abilities. There isn't much of a drawback to superhuman strength and the ability to turn my body into a weapon, except for being hunted by a force devoted to defeating biological threats. And hopefully from now on, I can be on good terms with that organization."

"As long as you make a cure for New York City, I will make sure your case is pardoned."

"Awfully generous of you, sir."

"As far as I know, it will not be a simple task."

"I am already aware of that. I'm prepared to give up killing infected for a while."

* * *

The soldiers arrived rather quickly. I helped them move equipment out of the glass-walled holding room. One of them tapped my shoulder. "You should get going, ZEUS. I'm sure there are better things for you to do than help us unpack."

"I'm at my old workplace. I want to say hi to someone who won't scream and run the other way."

"Whatever, mister. Just stay out of our way."

I turned around and looked at Dana's rigid body. I wasn't sure if she was simply biding her time or actually recovering. I didn't want to find out.

* * *

On my way back to the safe house, Nathan contacted me over the Hive Mind.

_Alex, are you there?_

_**Yeah. I just went to see Dana. Blackwatch already moved her to the GENTEK building.**_

_So... she's cured?_

_**Probably. I was worried for a moment, though. The Director called personally and told me that she might become another Runner if it goes through. He wanted a little more time to get the GENTEK facility ready, but some genius scientist already started the IV before I had a chance to stop him.**_

_That's almost the opposite of what those Blackwatch scientists would do, but whatever._

_**Something doesn't feel right, though.**_

_Like what?_

_**I understand that Dana is weak, but she seemed to move a lot more than Cross did when my blood got through the needle.**_

_So? She's a lot lighter. She can probably recover a lot faster._

_**But I don't want her to live the same way I do. The best thing I could do for her is make sure she has her old life back.**_

_As a journalist, right?_

_**With my help, she could get anywhere. Report any story.**_

_Hah! With your help, she'd be a criminal._

_**True. But I feel like I owe her a lot more than I've been able to pay off so far. She found the safe house, researched all of my leads, took care of a lot of things, organized-**_

_And she owes you big on saving her life._

_**...Right.**_

_You sweat the small stuff. If anything, you owe me for cooking for you._

_**And you owe me for saving your life, too.**_

_Touché._

_**Cross owes me some, too.**_

_He's another story. Put his debts on my tab, I'll pay 'em off._

Some interference seemed to weave its way across the Hive Mind.

_**Did you just feel that?**_

_Yeah... a mental wave, a push of some kind._

_**Can you tell where it came from?**_

_From the same direction as where you're coming from._

_**And no infected knows how to-**_

_Except the patient you just cured._

_**Fuck. Wake Cross up and get him to Times Square. I'll meet you there.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Times Square wasn't an ideal place to meet, but when I saw two men looking around in Blackwatch uniforms show up where few Blackwatch personnel went without a tank, I jumped down from the billboards and dropped down on top of a particularly grotesque infected person. Apparently once a businessman, from the looks of the tattered jacket.

"Bloody already, Alex."

"Nathan. And Cross."

"Mercer, what the hell is going on? I'm not that great with the Hive Mind, and even I could feel a disturbance. The infected all seem to have gone silent since then."

"... It's Dana. I woke her up, but she might have turned."

"Turned? What do you mean, Alex?"

"Turned into a Runner."

"Like us?"

"No. Like Greene."

With Cross on his mobile and Nathan shooting the signal flare he had left over in his uniform, we arrived at the Battery Park base.

Things did not look good. Hunters and Leader Hunters were swarming all over the makeshift buildings, and the Walkers had mobbed the surrounding skyscrapers. A Hive had apparently formed inside one of the steel buildings.

"So, Captain, you want to bet on how many buildings are infected?"

"Now isn't the time for gambling, Corporal."

"It looks like everyone's already evacuated."

"How would you know that, Mercer?"

"Infected vision. As it happens, the infected broadcast to each other who's an enemy and who's not. And we can pick up on it."

"Corporal, you never told me about this."

"Because it took me a while to understand it. Alex would be a better teacher for this than I would be."

"Then I'll teach you later, Cross. For now, you should be calling around to find out where the hell everyone's gone."

Cross held his phone to his ear. Apparently, his call connected.

"Hello? General? Yes, Cross here. ...No. We're at Battery Park. ...Where is everyone? What? No, you can't be! Which building?"

I looked at Nathan. "Stay put, Nathan. Not a good idea to go in there alone."

"No, General. You sure there's no way out? I'm not sure if the three of us can keep a clear path... Do you have ammo available in there? None?..."

"Cross, what else do they need?"

"Yes, that was Mercer. Anything else you need? Okay, good." Cross brought the phone away from his ear. "Nothing else, Mercer. They think it's best if we try to clear out the Hive first on our own. Then they'll have a chance to fight their way out of this mess."

"You have enough ammo, then? Just stay away from the Hive. I'm going to use a helicopter for this."

I snuck around to where I knew there was always a helicopter waiting, on the western side of Battery Park, leaving Cross and Nathan behind. For some odd reason, there was always a full cargo of rockets and shells loaded on the helicopter, and no matter how many times I abandoned the helicopter in mid-air, there would always be another one sitting at the same place within a few hours.

The infected had not yet destroyed the Apache. I got in and started the engine. The helicopter went aloft, and I turned it to face the infected buildings.

"Cross, Nathan, watch out. I'm starting my run."

"Roger that, Mercer."

Two figures on the ground moved behind a building. I armed the missiles and fired two. When they connected with the Hive, I couldn't resist making a comment.

"Boom!"

"Hey, Alex, I didn't know you were a pyromaniac."

"... I'm not."

I sent a few more rockets and watched as the Hive crumbled.

"What, you didn't like that?"

"Are you alright, Mercer?"

"I'm fine, Cross."

The fleeing Walkers and Hunters fell to the explosion of several rockets. "Done."

"Then land your bird and help us out."

Cross's mobile rang in my pocket. I was about to pick it up when I saw Cross also reaching for his phone. I decided to land the helicopter first. Voicemail could handle it, anyways.

* * *

Cross answered his phone.

"Hello? ... No, I haven't reached them yet. Of course! What? ...Got it." Cross flipped his phone closed.

"So? What does the Director want, Captain?" Nathan cocked his head to the side, then looked around.

"Brooklyn. And he said he doesn't want us to help out here anymore."

"I'll take a helicopter, then."

"Nathan told me that you used the subways to get across before. Let's ditch the helicopter and go underground."

"Fine. But we split up once we go underground."

"Sure." Cross apparently understood what I meant.

[/10]

A/N: This chapter was started during a family trip to Sonoma County. On the car, I had to put up with my sister's music (Taylor Swift, Lady GaGa, etc... She likes female vocalists.) and my dad's annoying habit of singing along. Off-tune.

At least he didn't try to sing in the same octave. Regardless of alto range vocals or not, I felt like shooting myself. Next road trip everyone's listening to my stuff. I'm fairly sure my dad can't copy Gildenlöw at 3:35 in "Reconciliation". That guy's got an awesome voice.

[10.5]

"Where's your cattle prod, Captain?" Cross turned around and glared at the unmasked young man.

"Must have left it at home, Corporal. I'll make do without it."

"Should I try and make one on the spot?"

"I'd rather you don't electrocute yourself, Corporal, seeing as I'm still mostly useless without grenades. Transformations don't come naturally for me."

The corporal slipped a tendril out the back of his uniform and poked at Cross with it. "And I mock your unwillingness to learn."

"I've seen plenty in my lifetime, Nate."

"Being the half-infected guy that beat the crap out of two Runners, I would expect that."

"And being fully infected now, I'm not going to die anytime soon from natural causes."

"The infection being natural. Hah."

Cross gave the corporal the middle finger. "Don't bring it up."

"...Tendrils."

"Fuck you."

From above, Mercer was piloting a helicopter. "Cross, Nathan, watch out. I'm starting my run."

"Roger that, Mercer." Cross clicked off his radio. "Let's get out of his way."

The two men ducked behind a building. Two rockets streaked across the air and blew two holes in the Hive.

"Boom!"

"Hey, Alex, I didn't know you were a pyromaniac."

Mercer sounded annoyed. "... I'm not."

He let loose a few more rockets. The Hive broke apart as the two men watched. Nathan looked up at the helicopter and saw the pilot inside mime shooting a pistol.

"What, you didn't like that?"

Cross became a little worried. "Are you alright, Mercer?"

"I'm fine, Cross." He sounded otherwise normal.

Several more rockets came, this time sending several infected corpses flying into the air.

"Thwack." Nathan timed his comment with the landing of a particularly grotesque Leader.

"Done."

Cross frowned. "Then land your bird and help us out."

Two mobiles started ringing at the same time. Cross's frown deepened and turned into a scowl when he realized they were both his.

"Okay, let's see. Who's playing around with my phones now?" Cross answered the phone he had stashed in a hidden pocket.

Mercer landed the helicopter and got out. He held up his mobile, taken from Cross's stash. It was ringing as well.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Captain. This is the Director. Have you reached the troops yet?"

"...No, I haven't made contact."

"Can you reach them?"

"Of course!"

"Then leave."

"What?"

"There are more pressing matters. I am more worried about the infection moving out of Manhattan. Make your way to Brooklyn and start eliminating the infection there. It seems it is setting up for a long stay, so strike while it cannot move."

"Got it." Cross flipped his phone closed.

"So? What does the Director want, Captain?" Nathan seemed unsure.

"Brooklyn. And he said he doesn't want us to help out here anymore."

"I'll take a helicopter, then."

"Nathan told me that you used the subways to get across before. Let's ditch the helicopter and go underground."

"Fine. But we split up once we go underground." If Mercer wanted to be alone, then it was better to let him be alone. Cross shrugged.

"Sure."

[/10.5]

A/N: Before you go off complaining about how 10.5 is basically a rehash of the latter half of 10, think this way: It's got a reason. I'm setting up for something... Note the different perspectives I wrote, contrasting Alex's POV in 10 with Cross's POV in 10.5.


	11. A Past and Future Secret

A/N: I know I'm redoing some ideas that have already been thought of by others. I'm aware of that. Most of what I'm writing is entirely unplanned, so when I decide to edit through this fic, I'll be pointing them out for your edification. I'm just going really fast now so I can get the story done. =P

And yes, I'm doing some wacky stuff again with my fic structure. Cross's POV references a Disney film. (though not REALLY directly)

I know this is a day early, but I'm going on vacation this weekend (Labor Day) and I won't have access to the Internet until about 11PM or later tomorrow.

[11]

I let my mind wander as Nathan led us to subway stations.

"Alex, we should probably split up as we go underground. If the infected are organized like before, then there's no telling what they might try to do. If we're all split up, there'll be less for each of us to handle."

"Corporal, if they're going to try something, it would be better for us to stay together, wouldn't it?"

"Let Nathan talk." Nathan and Cross understood that I was distracted, at least from what I could piece together from the confirming mood in the Hive MInd. I was too occupied in my own thoughts to keep track of their discussion.

I was worried. Something was not right, and it extended to far more than just the silence that had become prevalent in the Hive Mind. When the three of us used the Hive Mind for communication before, the infected would interfere and become very irritating.

But now... now they were silent, no matter how much the three of us talked and talked. A few nights ago, I had spent some time listening to the Hive Mind, trying to figure out what the infected were planning, but it was silent. Completely silent.

Either everything was whispered so silently that the cars on the street below the building I was on completely drowned it out, or the infected had indeed become disorganized. But during the attack on Battery Park, I couldn't sense any voices over the Hive Mind, no Hunters, Walkers, or Leaders. None. It would have been completely impossible for them to organize such a large assault without at least some dialogue between the infected. Did they have a way of communicating outside the Hive Mind now?

* * *

While I was debating within myself, Nathan led all of us to Penn Station.

"Corporal, you mean this as a joke, right?"

"Penn Station? No."

"Then you must be insane. We should be going underground southeast from here, closer to Brooklyn."

"Alex, you agree with this, right?"

"...Whatever." I was still lost in thought, and Nathan and Cross picked up on it.

"Well, Corporal, I'll be going underground at Broadway then. I'll see you in Brooklyn." I barely noticed when Cross left.

"Alex, you okay? What's chewin' ya?"

I gave a grunt. Nathan guessed what I was thinking.

"Something about the infected, right?"

"...Yes."

"How well organized they were at Battery Park? That was surprising."

"Not just that, Nathan. The Hive Mind. Did you listen to it while I was destroying the Hive?"

"Uh, no."

"It was entirely silent."

"Which means?"

"The infected have another way of communicating. They weren't talking to each other, so they must be communicating some other way."

"Okay, Alex. We should probably get underground, at least before they organize a strike against us."

"Lead the way."

"No, Alex, you go alone. C, then F at Borough Hall. I'm going down 2."

"Then I guess I'll see you in Red Hook."

Nathan left for the other subway station. I watched him disappear around a corner and descended into the subways.

* * *

The subways were, as always, dark, dank, and damp. Over my sneakers I felt the skittering of various vermin, infected rats, cockroaches, and other unknown creatures. I tuned myself into the Hive Mind, waiting for any slight communication, anything that might tell me about impending danger.

...Silence. I closed my eyes and focused my hearing ahead of me, trying to listen for any noise that might reveal the location of a Walker horde.

"Peekaboo." Cross was behind me. I almost cracked the ceiling of the tunnel with my jump.

"Fucking hell! Ow!" Cross was grinning for some reason.

**What's wrong? Hurt your head?**

_**And what the hell do you want now?**_

**Your help. As usual.**

_**Help with fucking what?**_

**Cooperation. With me.**

In front of me, Cross's body melted, reforming into something vaguely pink and very large. I froze for a moment, then jumped back and warped my arm into a blade.

"Fuck! I thought I killed you!"

**But I survived again.**

"And I'm going to make sure you're fucking dead this time!"

**Wait!**

But its comment was a bit too late. I had already launched myself, elbow-blade first, into the Supreme Hunter's torso, aiming for where I thought the heart would be.

It grabbed a hold of me and reformed itself and spreading its roots, a pink and squishy feeling that spread all over me like my armor.

"What the-? Get the fuck off me!"

**I need you to listen to me. Just relax, I'm not trying to kill you this time.**

"And what would convince me of that?"

**This.**

I felt the edge of a tendril bite into my throat, searching for my jugular. I tried to relax, but found my internal sense of the virus trying to resist. Until...

**There.**

A wave of warmth came over the Hive Mind, relaxing the virus. The tendril connected with its target.

**Now, then... my proof.**

I felt the Supreme Hunter funneling biomass into me. It felt entirely different, alien but highly familiar.

"Okay, what the fuck are you doing now?"

**Proving to you that I don't mean harm this time.**

"And what do you want from me this time? Slaughter the General and his second again?"

**No. I want you to help me take the current Runner down.**

"Why would I help _you_ with that job?"

**Because you don't want your sister to suffer through this.**

"And what are you doing with me right now?"

**I'm giving you a new ability that I discovered in myself after I reformed.**

"New ability?"

**Yes, the ability to influence the infected. If you agree, then I will give the same ability to your friends.**

"And what's keeping you from destroying me from the inside?"

The Supreme Hunter separated from me, leaving several tendrils attached. It returned to Cross's form.

"Because I like you."

"Like me?"

"Because I have as much of an urge to survive as you do."

"By 'reproduction'?"

"No, by hitching a ride piggyback on someone else." With that comment, the Supreme Hunter lunged at me, gripping me inside its tightly knit cellular structure. It squeezed and pulled at me, finally sending its tendrils deep inside.

"Fuck! Give me some warning before you do that!"

**You'll learn to like me being here.**

"How? You're just another leech for me to get rid of."

**You remember, hopefully, that I restored your memories. I know who you are from the inside. I saw all of your memories, even the ones you stole from dying people.**

"And I owe you for that?"

**I complete you, ZEUS.**

"Yet I feel like I should just force you out."

**I don't want your sister to be in control of the infected, either. She is better organized than Greene ever was, and she dislikes me. I have already been attacked several times by the infected.**

"Are you trying to make me feel pity?"

**Uh... no. But I do need your help. The further away from Dana we get, the less control she will have over the infected. In Brooklyn, I can spread my influence about two blocks all around. We just need to clear out the Hives, and the rest of the infected should disappear.**

"I still don't trust you."

**Because I tried to kill you twice? I have need of your help this time. I would rather you be alive to help me.**

"I would take your word for it, seeing as you delivered Randall and Taggart to me on a silver platter, but I've got a feeling that I should clear my decision with the other two."

**Sure.**

"Then let's go. They're waiting at Red Hook."

[/11]

A/N: Two perspectives... hehe.

[11.5]

The moment Cross broke away from the other two, he started running. Southeast, to Broadway. Something felt entirely wrong, and things never turned out well when he felt uneasy.

But he forced himself to calm down and move. He was carrying a rifle, and though he didn't have his electric baton or ammo for his grenade launcher, he felt confident he could handle whatever the infected could throw his way in the subways. At the very least, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

* * *

The moment he entered the East Broadway station, he threw up. Vines and tendrils (that word again!) had scaled up the walls of the station and creeped across the ceiling, leaving red-and-black roots hanging from every distinguishable surface. Cross had a sudden urge to turn around and leave.

"Okay, I can do this. I can do this." Self-reassuring comments had gotten him through many situations before. It was, after all, how he was able to stomach his way through the last two Runners. Cross readied his rifle and descended to the train platform.

There were, luckily, less evidence of the infected in the tunnels. Vines came less often, and what few creatures lurked in the subway knew well enough to avoid the infection like the plague.

He remembered Nathan mentioning something about infected rats and how they liked to gnaw on the vines. Drawing the rifle closer, Cross moved steadily down the tracks, half-expecting a Hydra or a few Hunters to appear and tear him apart at any moment. The cold and wet weather only served to make him more miserable in his thin uniform.

It had been designed to allow for movement, not to keep its wearer adequately protected from the elements. Cross shivered and moved on, silently cursing his decision to wear his uniform without the overcoat he had worn before.

* * *

He emerged on the other side of the metro, at Smith and 9th, a bit annoyed. It seemed that there had been a few Hunters making a racket behind him the entire time, and there had been enough rats and vermin skittering over his boots during his trek through the damp subways. At least none of them decided to explore his boots from the inside.

Some soldiers were stationed at Red Hook, though not many, not enough to repel any large horde of infected. From the looks of it, there was more camouflage than black and gray. Cross couldn't trust the Marines to stand against the infected for any extended period of time, and the few Blackwatch soldiers around wouldn't be able to hold the entire camp without a large amount of air and armor, both of which were in short supply.

Cross opened the door to the barracks he had fallen into a coma in. No half-nelson. He went to the bed where he had fallen ill. It smelled like vomit, and none of the other beds seemed to have been used in a few days. There were no personal belongings, no sign of human life present save a single dogtag left hanging from one of the other bunks. Cross climbed to the bunk above where he had slept and found the soldier above him had left behind a note.

"Feeling bit sick. Don't take bunk while I'm gone. Sgt Rice"

He climbed back down and went to sleep on a separate bunk altogether.

* * *

When Cross awoke, the bunk above was sagging down.

"Uh... hello?"

"Yeah, Captain? What is it?" The corporal swung his legs over the edge of the top bunk and slid off, landing with a quiet thump on bare feet. Cross scowled slightly.

"Just wondering who it was. Is Mercer here yet?"

"No. I think I'll be going out to get some stuff to eat. You want anything?"

"Coffee. Hot, if you can find it."

"Sure. I'll get some on my way back." The corporal left the room.

"What to do, what to do..." Cross decided to try mimicking Mercer's abilities.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Cross was panicking. "Fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck!"

Two out of twenty-three beds were still standing. None were left untouched by the violent reaction Cross received when he tried to bend it to his will even slightly. A stray tendril from Cross's back whirled around and hit the remains of several bunks.

"This isn't as fucking natural as you make it sound, Nathan."

One of the two remaining beds collapsed. The last one standing: Vomit and the note.

"Last one's total shit. Mercer would be smiling at the irony. Fucking fairytale ending, my ass." Cross kicked a metal frame across the room, barely missing a supersoldier as he came in.

[/11.5]

A/N: Heehee. Another bad day for Cross. Reeeeeeally bad. Mister Coffee has returned. Again.

...and here's the third perspective. Nate's, of course.

[11.10]

From the looks of it, Alex wasn't interested in my worries. Something was bugging him, something that I didn't feel comfortable with asking about this time. Ever since he got his memory back, something seemed different about him. Something... rediscovered, awakened maybe?

The captain continued to argue his point about sticking together. I listened as he dictated that he didn't have the abilities that Alex and I were able to use, and that he would be torn apart if he met any Walkers since he didn't have his shock baton. I let him ramble on and on until he finally figured out I wasn't listening. As I flipped over a car driving through an intersection, I noticed the captain giving me the middle finger. I acted as if I didn't see it.

With Alex occupied with his own thoughts and Cross an unwilling leader, I led the way to the one place I thought would fit Alex best. If there was a question he could come up with that couldn't be answered by the memories of tens of thousands of people, then it was something stemming from something beyond his own control. The best place to start was Penn Station, where it all began.

* * *

"Corporal, you mean this as a joke, right?"

"Penn Station? No."

"Then you must be insane. We should be going underground southeast from here, closer to Brooklyn."

"Alex, you agree with this, right?"

Alex was clearly still in thought about whatever he was thinking about. "...Whatever."

Cross took his own initiative for the first time. "Well, Corporal, I'll be going underground at Broadway then. I'll see you in Brooklyn."

I watched as the captain left, and then nudged Alex. "Alex, you okay? What's chewin' ya?"

Alex just grunted. I thought for a moment, then took a wild stab at Alex's train of thought.

"Something about the infected, right?"

"...Yes." Whatever that "something" was had definitely rattled Alex's sanity.

I thought for another moment, then guessed again. "How well organized they were at Battery Park? That was surprising."

"Not just that, Nathan. The Hive Mind. Did you listen to it while I was destroying the Hive?" Alex had somehow worked himself up into a frenzy all of a sudden.

"Uh, no." I couldn't tell Alex the truth that I had been listening and found it entirely odd.

"It was entirely silent." Alex apparently didn't notice my lie, or chose to ignore it altogether.

"Which means?" I was curious, now that Alex was thinking about the same problem that I was considering.

"The infected have another way of communicating." Well, duh. "They weren't talking to each other, so they must be communicating some other way." Double durr.

"Okay, Alex. We should probably get underground, at least before they organize a strike against us."

"Lead the way."

I was uncomfortable with allowing Alex to defer to my leadership. "No, Alex, you go alone." Ragland had confided in me while Alex hadn't yet been brought back from the coma, and he had told me about how Alex had came to him asking about how to deal with me. With Ragland's advice in hand, I decided it was time to thrust the issue into Alex's hands. "C, then F at Borough Hall." The slightly wider tunnels of the B Division tended to have less infection than the smaller A division tunnels. "I'm going down 2."

"Then I guess I'll see you in Red Hook."

I turned away towards the other subway station. I hoped I had done the right thing.

* * *

Chopping through the final vines before reaching daylight, I listened in on the Hive Mind again. Silent, no chattering of Walkers or grumbling of Hunters. It seemed they had all disappeared off the face of the planet. Yet, the vines that I had just cut through were very much alive, determined to keep me from escaping.

I walked out into the sunlight and vaulted over the fence separating the subways from the street. Blackwatch had chosen a very convenient location to stage their Brooklyn operations. Red Hook, with its rather large grass fields, offered just enough space for Blackwatch to set up. I went inside the building where Cross was bound to rest in.

* * *

The door squeaked slightly as I opened it, but Cross, fast asleep, didn't notice on his bottom bunk. I scaled the familiar ladder and unclicked the bulky vest I was wearing. I hung it on the edge of the bunk and stared at the ceiling. Jason had been in one of the beds in this very room, and I was still powerless to do anything about him.

What I had observed of the D-Codes was that they were extremely cruel. Whether it was because they were subject to the tortuous process of implantation or because they had been trained that way, I didn't know, but resting was not an option while my inaction could cause my friend to go through such pain. If anything I had figured out about the D-Codes was correct, Jason wouldn't recognize me if he ever saw me again if he had to go through the D-Code process.

* * *

"Uh... hello?"

I found I had allowed my mind to sink deep into the Hive Mind. The captain's question had retrieved me from my trance and seated me firmly back inside myself again.

"Yeah, Captain? What is it?" I quickly clicked my vest back on and rolled off the bunk to land on the floor.

"Just wondering who it was. Is Mercer here yet?"

"No. I think I'll be going out to get some stuff to eat." I heard the captain's stomach rumble. "You want anything?"

"Coffee." Of course. "Hot, if you can find it." Not a problem.

"Sure. I'll get some on my way back." I left the cramped room, wondering what to do. A few Marines had been wandering around, M4s slung over shoulders and breathing sighs of boredom. If the Marines were here, then there had to be a mess hall.

I made my mask melt away and asked. "Where's the mess hall?"

The Marine looked a little surprised. "Building four."

"Thanks."

He looked down, then looked back up and saluted. "No problem, sir."

As the Marine walked away, I looked down. Oops. I had accidentally switched to a Marine commander's uniform. "Walker" was the name embroidered on the front pocket.

I quickly switched back to my Blackwatch uniform and made a mental note to keep my clothes under control. The mess hall awaited.

* * *

When I entered, a few Marines stared at me as I entered. I took off my mask again and strapped it to my belt. A Marine tossed a remote at me.

"Here." It was clear the Marines weren't too happy about their sanctuary violated by a masked, night vision goggle freak.

I pointed the remote at the tube and started to channel surf. If Brooklyn had the same channels, the Food Network would be on Channel 50.

I paused for a moment on Channel 10. CNN usually had some good news tidbits to keep track of. I heard a few of the Marines groan.

"Fucking news again." "Sure, let the Blackwatch guy have the remote. Moron." "Fucking night vision lenses. Barely better than those SEAL bastards three months ago with their stupid flippers. Motherfuckers took the pool for a month."

I tried to keep my attention on the TV. A few news items about the Taliban came up, along with images of investors scrambling to safeguard their savings from the failing economy.

"Hey, ya hear about Battery Park getting destroyed by those infected? Crazy."

That comment ticked me off. I was ready to bloody some noses when my stomach grumbled. I flipped quickly to Channel 50 and watched as Rachael Ray sautéed her way through a mountain of lettuce, then uncovered a pot of simmering soup, letting a cloud of steam billow out in an opaque white cloud.

I left the remote on a table and left Red Hook for the subways. It was time to pay a visit to Coney Island.

[/11.10]

A/N: Yeah, that's right, three POVs. Ch12 will be less troublesome for me to write, and things are getting interesting now...

This is actually the first time I've written Nathan's POV. I had a bit of trouble with it, but I think I've worked out the kinks. ...And if you really wanted to know, I actually did research the channel numbers. Also, I have nothing against SEAL operators. Really. I mean it as a joke, not as an insult.

Has anyone figured out my running joke yet? I'll give you a hint: Cross is alone a lot. What does that mean? Hmm...


	12. Memento Mori

A/N: [nonexistent author's note goes here]

[12]

A thud echoed through the subway.

"What the fuck was that?"

**Infected, from what I can tell. I'll show you how I know later.**

"Uh, great. What kind?"

**Everything except Hydras.**

"Fuck."

The Supreme Hunter squeezed even more tightly, forcing its tendrils deeper into my body. Thankfully, it stopped just before the tingling sensation became painful. The biomass flowing into me seemed to extend my strength and further bolster my abilities.

"What the hell are you doing now?"

**Changing you a little more.**

"Changing what?"

**You'll figure it out soon enough. Get ready, they're coming.**

With thermal vision, I saw the infected creep around the corner. I readied my blade-arm.

**Try this out.**

My arms went slack. I could feel the Supreme Hunter changing them into claws.

"What the hell are you doing?"

**Do a groundspike, then aim another one with your other hand.**

"I can't focus two groundspikes at the same time!"

**You can. At least now you can. Use it like normal, and I'll handle the rest.**

"What the hell are you?"

**As I said earlier, I complete you, ZEUS.**

The infected finally realized that I was on their left, not their right, and began to run towards me. I readied groundspikes.

**Let them get really close before you use it. I'll help you out with what I think will be a useful trick.**

I waited until the infected began to get within Whipfist range. When one reached grabbing range, I let loose the biomass.

Hundreds of spikes erupted from every crevice of the subways. I slammed my left hand into the ground and let the Supreme Hunter take care of the rest. It sent tendrils through the spikes I had already created to consume each infected that had been skewered by my previous attack.

"This is what you used to recover?"

**No, I forced the infected to let me consume them, until you woke your sister from her coma.**

"Did you know about the coma effect?"

**I made a guess about it when Greene had still been around, but I had no idea that it would affect all carriers eventually. And I had no idea you could be affected by it as well.**

"Well, thanks for the foresight. Now could you get off of my back?"

The Supreme Hunter took most of the biomass I had taken from the infected and reformed himself in Cross's shape.

"You know Cross will hate you for using his shape."

"I have copied you, if you are fine with me using your figure."

"Go ahead. Nothing stopping you."

* * *

Entering Red Hook with a clone in tow drew the attention of most of the soldiers on watch. A few visibly gripped their guns closer to their body, in case something unusual happened. The Supreme Hunter behind me closely imitated my mannerisms, clearly making even the Blackwatch soldiers in the corners of the walled-off base point and watch intently for the impostor.

"This is very uncomfortable."

"Of course, ZEUS. It's not everyday you can see yourself without a mirror."

"Did you learn sarcasm from me as well?"

"No, that was from Cross."

"Really, now? I didn't know he had a sarcastic streak."

We walked into the barracks where I was sure Cross would be resting. I could hear Nathan in the galley.

"Stay here, Hunter. I'm not sure Nathan or Cross will take a liking to you immediately."

"Or I could merge with you again."

"It doesn't matter. Just stay out of sight, and I'll signal you when it's time."

The Supreme Hunter shuffled into the bathroom. I entered the kitchen and leaned against the door frame. Nathan looked very agitated, for some reason.

"Nathan, something wrong?"

He looked up. "Yes. I heard something from inside, and Cross was swearing. I'm getting some coffee done, but it's still got a few minutes to go until there's a full cup."

"Well, take a look then. I'll keep an eye on the coffee here."

* * *

A few more crashes from two rooms over told me that something was happening. A lack of cries for help over the Hive Mind told me nothing was out of place. I heard the bathroom door open, then slam closed. The Supreme Hunter had a smirk on his borrowed face.

"You need to get a new face. One that isn't mine or Cross's."

"I will find one soon, then."

"And can you tell what's going on two rooms over? Nathan and Cross should be there."

"The corporal and the captain are alive and well. The captain is bruised, though."

"I know what's going on, then."

"I guess I shouldn't ask."

"No, you should."

"What are they doing?"

"How did it go?"

"How did what go?"

"What's wrong with Cross?"

"The captain? He's fine. Just needed his coffee. Did you keep an eye on it?"

"Yeah, it's done."

"There's a hot dog from Coney Island I got while I was out. I already had mine on the way back."

"I'm not that hungry. I wasn't programmed with a need to eat, you know."

"I don't have that programming, either. But I still keep at it. Makes me feel less like a monster."

"Speaking of monsters..."

"Hold on, I need to go to the bathroom for a moment."

"Wait-" But I was already too late. Nathan had opened the bathroom door. Inside... was the Supreme Hunter, disguised as Cross.

"Captain? I thought I knocked you out."

"You did? I just felt my vision black out for a moment, and then I was fine."

"Well, I need the bathroom. Badly."

The Supreme Hunter as Cross walked out into the hallway, just as Cross opened the door from our room.

"What the-? Who the hell are you?"

"Wait! I can explain!" I was panicking now.

The Supreme Hunter, though, was already in the process of morphing back to his original pink form. I rushed to block Nathan's swinging blade with my shield.

I felt my shield crack as Nathan brought his bladed arm down on it. It didn't shatter, though, and I withdrew it in favor of my armor.

Nathan had already drawn his arm back to hit again. I readied Hammerfists to swat his attack aside. As his blade struck my armor, I caught it between two Hammerfists and cracked it.

Nathan screamed. While I hadn't been watching, Cross had disappeared into the sleeping quarters and retrieved his shock baton. The Supreme Hunter had gone after him, and was trying to attach to Cross.

I morphed my right arm into a blade and slapped Nathan with the flat side of my arm. He fell over, already unconscious, with tendrils already healing his broken arm.

I looked over at Cross and the Supreme Hunter. The Supreme Hunter had gotten Cross into a full nelson. I smirked and flicked the tip of my blade-arm under Cross's chin.

"I don't think you really want to get hurt."

"Fuck you, Mercer." Cross winced in pain when the Supreme Hunter forced his head down.

"That being said, I'd be more than happy to chop your head off and let the Supreme Hunter consume you. But that's not the reason I let him follow me here."

"Then what the fuck did you let him in for?" The Supreme Hunter sent out tendrils to wrap around Cross's neck.

"Easy there, Hunter."

**Not easy dealing with someone who wants to kill you right now. I'm trying to keep him still without using the same trick I used earlier on you.**

"Fine." The Supreme Hunter eased his choke hold a bit and dropped his full nelson into a half nelson. "Cross, the Supreme Hunter here asked for help. It's being attacked by the infected, and it hasn't been able to direct the infected to do anything since Dana woke up."

"So just fucking spit it out, Mercer. What do you fucking want me to do?"

"Cooperate with the Supreme Hunter."

"Right. Weeks ago he gets within inches of killing me, and now you want me to help him out?"

_**See? I told you.**_

**Predictable. I would have done the same in the same situation.**

"Okay, Cross. I know you still hate the Supreme Hunter for everything it did in the past. None of that matters as long as we're all going for the same thing."

"...Fine." The Supreme Hunter released Cross from its restraining hold. "Ow."

"ZEUS, if it is acceptable, I would like to spend some time gaining the captain's trust."

"Just tell me when Nathan wakes up, since I need to apologize to him for all of this." I looked at Nathan. He was sprawled on the floor, a puddle of drool on the ground. "Actually, Cross, do you mind if I put Nathan on your bunk?"

"No. Of course not, bastard. He'd better not drool all over the fucking bunk."

* * *

I unwrapped the hot dog on the counter. It was already cold. I decided to move it on top of the coffee machine, where it would be warmed by the water boiler.

I felt an cold sensation run down my back. When I turned around, I saw Cross, with the Supreme Hunter apparently making itself at home in the form of pink armor.

"It suits you, Cross."

"What suits me, Mercer?"

"Pink armor."

"Fuck y-" The Supreme Hunter muffled Cross's comment. "Mmph! Mmmphh-mmph!"

I smirked. Cross settled with giving me the middle finger.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Shut your trap and all that whatnot. Like I fucking care."

Cross gave me the middle finger again.

"Hunter, do you mind?"

Cross whimpered in pain as the Supreme Hunter crushed his hand back into a fist. I smirked again.

"Have fun, you two lovebirds."

Cross gave me the middle finger with his other hand, then fell over as the Supreme Hunter broke that finger as well.

_**Overkill much?**_

**Maybe.**

_**Did you learn indifference from Cross as well?**_

**No, I learned that from you.**

* * *

When Blackwatch established their base at Red Hook, they had brought along restraints designed to keep me contained. After interrogating a few officers, I found the small, well-secured warehouse where I was to be kept. Inside I found enough tranquilizer to put an entire city to sleep along with a machine meant to keep me unconscious for an extended period of time. I wheeled it across Red Hook and into the barracks where Nathan was lying on a bed. The operating instructions were thankfully simple, and the machine operated on a similar principle as dialysis for kidney problems.

After I had gotten the machine running on Nathan, I sent my tendrils into his nervous system and tapped into his memories.

_

* * *

Jason! What are you doing here?_

_Nothing really, Nate. If you're wondering, you've got a great track record already in the Marines._

_So... what's going on here? Why did I get a transfer to the Army?_

_Well... To tell you the truth, Nate, I was asked whether I had any friends that I knew that weren't likely to complain, and I thought of you. So I told the recruiters._

_And that brought me here. I'm guessing I still have a choice as to whether I join or not._

_Uh... no. You've already been assigned a locker, Nate. Technically I'm your superior, but since we're friends and all that, it's Jason when it's informal, alright? Captain and sir and all that crap are for when you're talking over the radio or something. Or when you really need my attention._

_Sure, Jason._

_

* * *

Hey, Jason! What the hell do you guys do anyways? What the hell's with the gas mask?_

_You haven't been briefed on everything yet. I was just made a private. Technically I shouldn't be telling you about this yet, since I'm supposed to talk about it at an official briefing, but I can tell you this: we're business. Not ass pussy Marines, or anything like that. It doesn't fucking matter if you can swim fifty laps anymore, it does fucking matter if you can shoot to kill. If you can't, well... I can't help you, Nate._

_Shit._

_Just think of it as America's Army. Remember how we totally destroyed that other team of 8?_

_Yeah. That was hilarious. I had to turn my volume down from all that screaming, remember?_

_Just you and a sniper rifle and me and an SMG. Good times._

_

* * *

Cherry! Show these motherfuckers how to correctly use an M16!_

_Yes sir!_

_

* * *

Rough day, Jason._

_Sorry for giving you all those orders earlier. You're the only person I'm familiar with in the whole group. Barking out orders isn't really my thing. I just want to blow some heads off._

_You know that briefing you gave earlier? Blackwatch has a research department?_

_Yeah. Hopefully you'll never get transferred there, since I know I'm staying here. Containment is way better._

_You mentioned those shots earlier..._

_You'll probably get them later this week. It makes you that much better, but it puts you on a leash. Permanently. I heard they put all these ID tags in everyone. Even heard they've got tiny GPS chips in everyone. Freaky._

_Yeah, I figured. They're not going to let their tech get away that easily, right? I mean, it's probably worth at the very least a couple million to develop that kind of stuff._

* * *

I pulled away from Nathan quickly.

If his memory wasn't faulty, then that meant every single Blackwatch soldier was infected, to some degree. Each soldier had a weakened form of BLACKLIGHT in them, and each had been given training to use their enhanced bodies to their full extent.

...So why had Nathan been able to wield a full copy of BLACKLIGHT? If he was like every other Blackwatch soldier, how did he gain access to an unaltered copy of BLACKLIGHT? And why was he sent out to meet me all those weeks ago?

[/12]

A/N: Notice that Cross refers to the Supreme Hunter as "he" and Alex uses "it" instead. Another little tidbit I felt I had to mention...

Well... the plot's doing a 360 all of a sudden. It's not about Dana anymore, is it? My little web of intrigue (no pun intended) is coming together...

And a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11...

...Okay. Coffee time!

[12.5]

Cross gagged. The supersoldier was indeed the same supersoldier as times past.

The familiar greeting: "Do you want any coffee, sir?"

A panicked reply: "I already sent the corporal out to fetch some."

* * *

A half-nelson and several bruises later, the supersoldier was busy reassembling the destroyed beds in the room.

He still wasn't wearing his uniform.

"Oy, motherfucker!" The supersoldier turned around.

"Yes, sir?"

"I think I'll fix the beds myself. Don't need you around to do it."

"Thank you, sir. I'll be going then."

Cross braced himself as the supersoldier approached for another half-nelson.

Cross was wrong. The supersoldier had quite a few more tricks than he had originally thought.

The supersoldier had used a full nelson, almost breaking Cross's neck in the process, switched to a strangle hold, and then executed a judo throw, sending Cross flying into one of the newly reassembled beds.

"My name is not 'motherfucker', sir."

"Well, what is it? 'What's-your-face' does no one any justice."

"I am L-666, sir. That's all you need to know."

"Unfortunate number, isn't it?"

"Would you like me to find coffee for you, sir?"

Cross broke out in a cold sweat. "Fucking hell, no. I don't need a second cup of coffee if Nate's already bringing a cup back for me. Hopefully the good stuff, not the crap-in-a-bag out of the coffee maker."

* * *

The supersoldier left without another word. Cross tossed himself into facedown position on a clean bed.

"Fucking hell." Cross punched the bunk above with his fist, then shook it around in pain.

He propped himself up and looked over at his equipment, which the supersoldier had been delivering. He took out his shock baton, and turned it on. It buzzed happily in his hand. His grenade launcher looked a bit dull, but after wiping it off with a cloth he had packed with it, it looked good as new. Cross checked the magazine, clicking the first trigger several times to examine each moving part as it pulled a fake grenade into place. Cross pulled the second trigger and watched as the fake grenade flew out the barrel, colliding with the wall in a small explosion of cotton balls.

Cross was satisfied. He set his customary weapons down and stretched his arms a bit, walking towards the door. He opened the door.

* * *

The Supreme Hunter had managed to best him where he thought he was strongest. Three months ago, Cross could wrestle any other Blackwatch soldier to the ground, and beat the soldier to a pulp, if it became necessary. He wasn't so sure anymore. The corporal was significantly stronger than him now, and even though Cross could keep up with the corporal running across the city, he could not keep up if Nathan decided to scale a building and jump across roofs.

When Cross had fought Mercer inside the Hive, he thought he would come out on top, since electricity was a weapon no amount of biomass could defend against and grenade launchers were as powerful as handheld weapons got. Cross had, while Mercer had been in a coma, wrestled with Nathan once, but proved to be weaker.

Comparing the Supreme Hunter to Nathan was impossible. The pink flesh was impossible to ignore, and yet it seemed everywhere. Cross found himself encased inside a hard, pink straitjacket. A few hard points inside the unorthodox restraint jabbed into Cross's ribs and back.

* * *

"So why the hell do you need help?"

**I find myself entirely without allies.**

"Without allies? Can't you simply disappear off the face of the planet? Turn into me? Go steal someone else's body?"

**The infected can tell who you really are without using your face to recognize you. It would be extremely hard for me to hide anywhere in New York, and I cannot yet leave. The quarantine makes it impossible for me to leave without being noticed.**

"Okay, so you mean you just need someone to stick with."

**No. I mean I need someone who is going in the same direction.**

"And how did you know we were trying to fix Mercer's sister?"

**I get around fairly easily. The subways, however, are particularly dangerous for me. I get found very quickly in there.**

"So where did you meet up with Mercer?"

**In the subways.**

"Okay. Great. I'm assuming you had some trick up your sleeve?"

**I couldn't use it myself. I did not have enough biomass to execute that particular attack.**

"But Mercer had enough."

**Correct.**

"So I'm correct in assuming that you are a fucking coward."

**Less of a coward, more of a weakling.**

"And yet you put up a good fight for Mercer. I've seen the tapes. You managed to stay disguised for that long without attracting attention. I have to commend you for that."

**Thank you. And no, I was going all out on ZEUS. I wasn't sparing any of my biomass reserves.**

"Would you consider me weak?"

**No. You are quite a bit stronger than I thought you were. I like you, captain.**

"And I'm not a fucking homo."

**I am otherwise disinclined.**

"Very funny."

[/12.5]

A/N: If anyone noticed, I put gaps in chronology, right before I have the Supreme Hunter show up in this half-chapter, and again immediately before Alex leaves. Just refer to the main chapter for all of that, I'm too lazy to write it myself right now. =/


	13. Twisted Mind

A/N: I'm being very ambiguous in this chapter. *sigh* Again, blame my writing style. I still have no idea how to get straight to the end of the story without simply killing off Nathan and the Supreme Hunter. I can't kill Cross, he's too fun to put in awkward situations.

Referenced plenty of things this chapter: Inception (indirectly), "That's what she said" jokes, Borderlands (again, used a line from the Psychos)

Also, I noticed a spike of people last week on Wednesday. This is NOT being updated on Wednesday anymore, my release date every week has been moved to SATURDAY.

I've gotta say thanks to all of my readers; I don't have a day without readers now, even with just one story out there. Thanks!

[13]

**_Hunter, do you know anything about Blackwatch that I wouldn't know _****_about already?_**

**Nothing comes to mind.**

**_Then did you know that Blackwatch soldiers were already infected? As part of their training?_**

**I... did not know that. I did learn that the captain and the corporal were both infected prior to meeting you, but I had no idea that all Blackwatch soldiers were infected.**

**_Only a weakened version of BLACKLIGHT, though._**

**Entirely understandable.**

**_What I want to know is how Nathan got an unaltered copy of BLACKLIGHT in him before he met me._**

**If you are expecting me to confess, I did not have a hand in infecting the corporal, only the captain.**

**_I wasn't expecting anything. Just wondering. You think Blackwatch ran experiments on its own soldiers?_**

**If they did not, I would be very surprised.**

* * *

So the Supreme Hunter didn't know anything that I wasn't already aware of. Asking Cross wasn't something I was willing to try at the moment, but I trusted that the Supreme Hunter would tell me soon if Cross was hiding something from me.

That left only Nathan. At the moment, he was out cold, drooling on Cross's bunk.

I sat down on the floor to think. What would Nathan know, if anything? Blackwatch would keep anything they did, even to their test subjects, so would Nathan have known he was a lab rat?

Or did he already know that every Blackwatch soldier was a test subject?

I decided to leave the idea alone.

**_Hey, Hunter. I'm going back to GENTEK. Better get started on making a cure. You mind keeping an eye on Nathan?_**

**Go. You want Nathan off the sedative, right?**

**_Yeah. How could you tell?_**

**I can tell what everyone on the Hive Mind is doing. Even you, ZEUS.**

**_And I'm not comfortable knowing that._**

* * *

I resurfaced in Union Square and headed towards the GENTEK building. The receptionist smiled at me as I came in, then waved me towards the lab elevator.

Basement floor fourteen. That's where my team would be waiting. I watched the elevator doors close and felt the elevator move its cargo down seven hundred feet of maximum security. I decided to recall the modifications I had made to BLACKLIGHT before escaping with it to Penn Station.

I closed my eyes and let the amino acids of sheets and helices wiggle themselves into the appropriate position. I had modified the shape of the virus itself, inspired by the armored carapace of ancient trilobites, from its original spiracle shape. I had designed its virulence, reduced its ability to kill its victim and bolstered its power to change.

I had designed BLACKLIGHT as it had been released on New York. And now I had to destroy the version modified by Greene that had multiplied and reduced New York to a battlefield between the stalwart and the unstoppable.

I opened my eyes again as the elevator doors opened. My team was waiting.

* * *

The entire lab was as I had remembered it. The contents of everyone's offices had been dismantled and recreated inside the maximum security lab/prison where no one had yet been allowed to leave. Six people, my team, watched as I came through the gate. Four Blackwatch soldiers were pointing their rifles at my head, but as I got closer, they lowered their weapons and saluted.

One of the scientists approached me. I remembered his name as Cecil. He touched my jacket, then rubbed my shirt collar between his fingers. I held the virus in check as it desperately wished to kill and consume the master of the offending hand.

It was difficult to keep the virus in check while the rest of the scientists moved to test me. I forced the virus to play nice. When Cecil's girlfriend, Rosa, came to feel my jacket, I formed a tendril to play a bit with her finger. I figured she would be less surprised at it than some of the other scientists.

She shrieked as it wrapped around her finger, but she calmed down when I forced it to withdraw. The Blackwatch soldiers standing nearby were alert, readying their rifles.  
After everyone had taken their turn, I brought out my armor. A few were surprised to see the sudden transformation, but when I returned to my normal form, they relaxed. The Blackwatch soldiers were wary again, but they kept their rifles lowered.

I decided to address everyone present. "You all know me as Alex Mercer. He died in Penn Station, where he was killed by Blackwatch agents sent to intercept his theft of a particular BLACKLIGHT sample. Before his death, he shattered the vial containing the sample by throwing it to the floor. As he died, the virus infected his body and created me. The Alex from before Penn Station only lives as part of me now. A side effect of my adoption of his persona as my own was amnesia and inability to recall Alex's past. I didn't know what I had one to attract the attention of Blackwatch, not even who I was, until I learned it gradually through painful recollection.

"I killed thousands of people to claw my way to the truth. I know now what I am, what the old Alex did, and what purpose I can still fulfill. I have all f the old Alex's skills and memories. If I was able to build a deadly virus, then I should be able to build an equally deadly counter-virus to fight it.  
"But I didn't create the current virus by myself. All of you had a hand in creating it, whether it was researching the virus's genes or running the machines to synthesize the virus. None of you knew it, but all of you did it. And now I need your help again, this time to make a counter-virus. One that can disrupt BLACKLIGHT just enough to deactivate it, to prevent it from spreading any further.

"I know that some of you think I should roll over and die, or the Blackwatch soldiers here should just kill me. I understand that your neighbor might be dead because of me, that a relative or close family friend is gone because the virus killed them or took them away. All I hope is that whatever we create can stop the virus from spreading any further."

* * *

When I finished my motivational speech, I looked at each scientist in turn. They each nodded when I turned my gaze towards them. The officer leading the Blackwatch soldiers motioned to me to follow him. I followed him until he stopped at a door. He entered a code in.

"Put in your own code three times and then close the door and enter it again."

I put in a code I was unlikely to ever forget. "2008". "2008". "2008". I closed the door and entered "2008" again. The officer reached out and opened the door.

"Go on in, ZEUS."

I looked inside. My office on the forty-second floor had been dismantled and recreated in the maximum security lab. I went inside and sat down on the chair. I opened the drawer, took out a pen, and started the office toy into motion.

"Good luck, ZEUS."

The Blackwatch officer left, leaving me alone. I took out my laptop and clicked it into place on the dock. A message downloaded onto the desktop and started to play.

* * *

A video log of the virus infecting a cell played. "A deadly virus, capable of infecting almost any known living species." My voice was confident as it played back, but I knew I hadn't been that way when I had actually set the virus loose in that small Petri dish.

I knew what was happening, each synthesized protein BLACKLIGHT possessed systematically ripping apart others and reformulating them into deadly cellular assassins. The cell mutated beyond recognition, but able to assume any form, fulfill any role. That fundamental change had given me the same ability to assume any form, fulfill any role. All I had to do was kill something that possessed that form, fulfilled that role, and I could do the same. I focused on fulfilling the old Alex's role.

* * *

Someone knocked on the door. I looked up and motioned for Cecil to come in. "Alex... You sure you know what you're doing here?"

I looked back down at the protein model I was building. "I know what to do, Cecil. But I need to tell you that I'm making a counter-cure for myself. I'm not going to be killed by my own weapon."

Cecil had made himself comfortable in a chair. "So you're still a selfish bastard."

"No, I'm not. Killing thousands of people and flipping through their memories has changed me a lot more than you think it might."

Cecil fidgeted a little, then leaned back in his chair. "So what do you need, Alex?"

"Trust. Help. And a little bit of time."

"...We'll try, Alex."

"Get out of here."

* * *

[23:41:01]subrosa973: Mercer, you there?

[23:41:09]enigma308: Here. Is Nathan off the sedative yet?

[23:41:22]subrosa973: Yes.

[23:41:27]enigma308: Good. Nathan awake yet?

[23:41:38]subrosa973: Yes, but not very happy.

[23:41:50]enigma308: Huh. Did you explain what was going on? I wasn't paying attention to the Hive Mind.

[23:42:03]subrosa973: Yes, though the corporal isn't impressed.

[23:42:11]enigma308: Remind him I killed the Supreme Hunter twice already. And I was about to do it a third time, before I hesitated when it told me to wait a moment.

[23:42:35]subrosa973: He wants to kill me now.

[23:42:43]enigma308: Who wants to kill you?

[23:43:10]subrosa973: The Supreme Hunter. I think he's trying to keep me from typing or something.

[23:43:19]enigma308: Did it tell you that you'd learn to like him?

[23:43:25]subrosa973: Yes. Why?

[23:43:32]enigma308: Uh, never mind.

[23:43:41]ultraviolet221: Alex, I fucking hate you!

[23:44:11]ultraviolet221: If you think you can give me the fucking silent treatment, think again! I have no fucking problem cutting your fucking head off! GO TO FUCKING HELL!

* * *

I tuned into the Hive Mind then and felt the Supreme Hunter reaching out to Nathan.

**Calm down, corporal.**

_No! I won't fucking calm down when Alex doesn't know what the hell he's doing! Fuck you!_

The Supreme Hunter focused his communications on me.

**ZEUS, if you're listening, I need you to convince the captain to put the corporal back on sedative. And let me plant an idea in the corporal's head while he's unconscious.**

* * *

[23:46:21]enigma308 (to subrosa973): Get Nathan back on the sedative ASAP. I don't think he's thinking straight.

[23:46:29]subrosa973 (to enigma308): Got it.

* * *

The Supreme Hunter broadcasted what it felt to me. I let the Supreme Hunter pull me deeper into the Hive Mind. I felt Cross as he electrocuted Nathan with his shock baton, then the

Supreme Hunter's hurried leap off of Cross's body onto Nathan's to form a tight straitjacket. I could hear Cross's hurried footfalls and the clattering of fragile equipment as he pushed the sedative machine and stuck Nathan with the needle. I felt Nathan's body shudder, then fall into a deep, unconscious rest.

**_Alright, Hunter, go ahead._**

**I cannot guarantee what the corporal will be like after I do this.**

**_Better pacifist than insane. Do it._**

* * *

I extracted myself from the Hive Mind and turned my attention to work. From what I remembered, it would be a few hours before any useful amount of serum was synthesized. I hung the "I'm not here" sign on the door and left.

Cecil stopped me on the way out.

"Going somewhere, Alex?"

"I've already sent what I need to the machines. It'll be a few hours, and I'd best be off getting samples so everyone here can concentrate on making the cure."

"Alex, what the hell happened to you? You're not the same at all."

"That's what Dana said. And I don't have an answer. All I know is I'm living the lives of thousands of people."

"So you mean..."

"I mean I need some space. I know who I've killed, I know who I need to seek out, but I don't know who I'll become. I'll need some space so no one has to get hurt."

"Alex, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"When this is all over... will you cure yourself?"

"Cecil, I'm making a vaccine to prevent anything we make from killing me. The only reason I'm alive right now is because the virus is keeping me alive. If the virus dies...well, that means I'll die as well."

Cecil made a small gasp.

"...Are you sure?"

"I almost died once when I lost most of my infection. I'm not risking it. Besides, I like it." I morphed my right arm into a blade. "Keeps me sharp. No pun intended."

"How many people have you killed with that?" Cecil did not look amused.

"More than I should have, Cecil. And even though I'm not entirely human, I'm starting to feel remorse for my actions."

"So you did grow a heart."

"Literally, no. Metaphorically... you could argue that. I should be going."

"Alright, Alex. Don't get yourself killed out there."

"I'll try not to."

* * *

"So how's Nathan doing?"

"Well enough, ZEUS."

"Good. What idea did you plant?"

"That I infected him and he owes me one."

"That'll be one that'll play out very nicely. Have you told Cross already?"

"Yes. He understands."

"Where is that bastard, anyways?"

"Likely in bed. He's still mostly human, despite the virus. He isn't as close to the virus as you are, ZEUS."

"I've been thinking that you should have a name. It isn't good to call you 'the Supreme Hunter' all the time. It gets to be a mouthful."

"Well, I wouldn't know about names. You're the one with thousands of minds in your head."

"I'm going to be as uncreative as I was before. Let's just call you 'Hunter' from here on out."

"Does it matter?"

"Makes it easier. Besides, Hunter is sufficiently common a name that it won't stand out too much. Anyways, I need you to go down into the subways with me."

"For what reason? Why are you here, anyways?"

"I set the machines at the lab to start synthesizing the counter-virus, so I've got some time to burn. I need to take a few samples to test on, and I would love to chop away at some Hydras for a pound of infected flesh. It would be good if you came along as well."

"Well, the captain can take care of himself and the corporal. I would be happy to accompany you."

"Let's go."

* * *

The subways were as forbidding as usual. Vines of infected material had intertwined into a thick, grainy fabric that Hunter and I took turns cutting through.

**_Well, better get started. Call in the cavalry, Hunter._**

**What cavalry?**

**_You know, that thing you do to attract the infected? Would be nice to kill a few right now, take some samples, the whole reason we're down here._**

**They track me. I can't hide from them. When they decide to come, they'll come.**

**_So I brought you down here for nothing?_**

**...That would be the short way of putting it.**

**_So we wait. _**

**Or we can push deeper. I can show you how I do it.**

**_...Oh, all right. Show me._**

I felt the Hunter melting into me again, similar to how it had done before. But this time, it was converting me into a puddle of biomass as well.

**_Are you sure about this?_**

**I'm showing you the trick behind it. **

**_So 'just let go, I'll handle the rest' again?_**

**Just let go, I'll handle the rest.**

I tried to relax. The Hunter smothered me in a slightly warm embrace, covering my entire body in pulsating biomass. I let it join his biomass with mine, then let it take control. I closed my eyes, then felt them disappear. I stopped breathing, then felt my lungs collapse. I didn't struggle.

**_This is entirely different._**

**This is how I survived between the first time you killed me and when I managed to consume an unwitting Blackwatch soldier.**

**_So you then masqueraded as a soldier the rest of the time, until you met Cross?_**

**In a nutshell, yes.**

**_Who did you consume?_**

The Hunter played back one of its memories. A supersoldier.

**_So that's how you evaded detection? Consuming someone who was already infected?_**

**It was hard to catch him off guard. I ended up having to sneak around and consume him while he was sleeping.**

**_And one day he goes out on a mission and all traces of him disappear? How convenient._**

**That would be the easy way of putting it. More like I took an entire squad of supersoldiers with me.**

**_And no one questioned it?_**

**The squad had been sent to find you. It's natural that you might have killed them yourself.**

**_But you did the hard work for me._**

**It was the only way to get to the captain without getting noticed.**

A thud vibrated the ground underneath the Hunter and I.

**We should get going.**

The Hunter shifted his biomass into the ground. He had reformed our combined biomass into a long serpentine shape cracking its way through rock and soil.

**_This is totally weird._**

**It felt odd at first, but after I consumed a Hydra, it felt more natural.**

The Hunter shared another memory with me, one from a Hydra's point of view. It dove deep from the core underground and moved upwards, a monstrous plant seeking sunlight and its share of blood on the surface. But now the movement through the ground felt natural. With the Hunter's memory embedded within my own memories, I willed myself forwards, deeper into the earth.

**You said you wanted samples, am I correct?**

**_Yeah. Let's find some infected to slaughter._**

The Hunter pushed us both towards the surface. We emerged just inside Battery Park.

**_Okay, so what are we doing here?_**

**We should start in Manhattan. It will be easier to find a sample, as the Hives are still aboveground here.**

**_Right. Chinatown?_**

[/13]

A/N: Wow, can't believe I actually did that "that's what she said" reference. If you're wondering, Dana  
is a she. Hopefully the point comes across.

...One order of coffee joke promulgation, coming right up.

[13.5]

Cross sat unhappily on a newly repaired bunk. The Supreme Hunter had just left, leaving him with a message of "ZEUS needs me" and "Take care of the corporal" and "Be careful, captain".  
Cross leaned back to sleep. He was tired. He had just given a fellow soldier a few hundred thousand volts, and then drugged him into an unconscious state. Cross felt guilty.  
He went to the kitchen.

A hot dog was sitting on top of the coffee maker. The coffee maker had collected four cups of coffee, and the hot dog was warm from its position on top of the coffee maker. Cross took it and ate, then poured black coffee into a cup.

Cross threw up suddenly. Since he had woken up in the hospital with IVs in his arm four weeks ago, he hadn't yet poured a cup of coffee for himself. It was his first cup of coffee in a month that hadn't been poured by someone else. Nathan had brought him coffee a few times before, and Alex had prepared coffee at the safe house for him. And the anonymous supersoldier had, quite often, wrestled Cross into a submissive position and poured scalding hot coffee all over his face.

Cross hoisted himself onto the counter and sighed. He would clean up his vomit later, before he woke the corporal from his sedative-induced coma.

* * *

After an hour, Cross decided he was bored of watching the IV drip. He grumbled rather loudly and muttered a bit before leaving the barracks entirely.

A group of Marines were running through drills and exercises. Cross watched as a few made idiotic mistakes, and other stumbled on even the simplest of exercises: the agility ladder. Cross chuckled as one Marine tripped on the ladder and fell face-first into concrete. Another group was attempting to scale eight-foot walls. Cross watched as a few failed to generate enough momentum to latch onto the edge. One Marine, clearly too heavy for service, managed to latch onto the top lip of the wall, but then the top wood plank ripped out its nails. Cross looked away.

He wandered into building four. A few Marines saluted as he entered the mess hall, and watched as a few miserably failed at pool.

Cross left when he saw a Marine sink the cue ball.

A toon of Blackwatch soldiers was standing at attention outside. He watched as a drill sergeant walked around yelling at the top of his lungs to storm the little shack they were training on. Cross knew the infection didn't take refuge inside a shelter, it converted the shelter's structure into a basic form to reproduce in. It was pointless to target single Walkers or even Hunters. It was easier to blast the entire building into rubble. The only targets worth fighting one-on-one were Runners. And Runners fell into the jurisdiction of the Wiseman team, whatever was left of it. As far as Cross knew, he was the only one still alive.

He had made sacrifices before Blackwatch, but none as titanic as the decision to lead an elite strike team. Memories had been lost when he had gained his strength, but since his meeting with the Supreme Hunter and Alex Mercer, Cross had become far stronger than any other Wiseman team member ever had been. But he still couldn't produce the somewhat miraculous transformations that Mercer and the corporal underwent on a regular basis. He could create a thin covering of biomass, but found he couldn't sustain it for any longer than a minute.

Not even slightly useful as armor. His nails could grow longer, but they were nowhere near as strong as Mercer's or the corporal's claws. Mercer didn't even have a fifth finger when he morphed his hands into his claws, and Nathan's claws seemed less like hands and more like the claws inside the stuffed animal machines in Las Vegas. Cross silently swore he would never return to Sin City after he ended up paying for the services of a lap dancer.

He walked over to the little shack. The single ability he had been able to figure out was one he also detested: tendrils. He sighed and put his hand on the wall of the shack. He felt its mass and sighed again. Without effort, Cross pushed biomass out. Tendrils stretched out from his arm and penetrated the walls of the little shack. He reinforced the shack's structure with tendrils, stretching and attaching to form a protective shell outside and a web of tendrils meant to keep the structure from falling apart.

The drill sergeant didn't know a thing. He sent the soldiers at the door again. When one tried to bash the door down, Cross made his biomass respond. A tendril whipped out and knocked the soldiers off their feet, then bound them to the ground.

Cross signaled for the drill sergeant's attention. When the drill sergeant had picked his mouth up from the ground, Cross signaled again.

"Yes, captain?"

"That's what your soldiers will be going up against when they try to actually storm an infected structure. Except for the fact that the infection won't be trying to just stop them, it'll kill them and then turn them against their comrades."

"...I understand, captain. How did that structure get infected?"

"Look at my right arm, sergeant."

The drill sergeant gasped when he saw the tendrils. Cross willed his mass back from the structure and allowed it to collapse. Once he had finished his business, he turned around and headed for the barracks. Cross smirked when he looked back. The drill sergeant's mouth had dropped again.

"...Ass pussy ex-Marines."

[/13.5]

A/N: Hmm... Cross is alone and NOT getting abused by "that anonymous supersoldier". Hmm indeed.

I MAY take a break from LL&PB, since I broke my writer's block on WTS (finally! after 2 years) and I desperately need to keep it from blocking again. I also managed to get writer's block for Ch14 here. Oops.


	14. Incentive

A/N: Ah, finished this on the Sunday after my normal post day. That was a nice break...

[14]

The Hunter and I stumbled back to GENTEK after a while. I had made sure the Hunter took a civilian shape before I allowed him to enter the labs with me.

The Blackwatch soldiers keeping an eye on the team nodded as I came in, but then held up their weapons when the Hunter came in behind me. I looked over at the officer, who was motioning for me to come over.

"He's with me." The officer shrugged and ordered his soldiers to lower their weapons.

_**Let's go, Hunter.

* * *

**_

There were a few gasps from the team when the Hunter reverted to his massive pink form. I let the Hunter introduce himself while I entered the hazmat area to prepare microscope slides.

I mechanically went through the motions while I continued to think about Blackwatch.

Was Nathan aware that he was an experiment? Did Cross know about it?

**Neither of them know about it. **

_**Even when I'm not broadcasting on the Hive Mind, you can hear what I'm thinking?**_

**The short answer is yes. The long answer is I can tell what you are thinking of, because you are always showing your mental state on the Hive Mind, even when you try to keep yourself hidden.**

_**Are you done introducing yourself over there?**_

I felt a slight squeeze on my shoulder. A pink tendril wrapped around my right arm and over the back of my hand. I shrugged the Hunter off my shoulder and continued to work.

After a moment, I looked over at the Hunter, who had picked up one of the samples and begun preparing microscope slides.

"Didn't think you knew how to do it."

_**I figured it out from skimming through your memories. **_

"How long ago was that?"

_**It doesn't matter.

* * *

**_

[07:50:11]subrosa973: Mercer, the corporal woke up about fifteen minutes ago. He seems fine.

[07:50:17]enigma308: Good.

[07:50:34]subrosa973: Where are you? Just up and disappeared.

[07:50:40]enigma308: GENTEK. Working on creating a cure right now.

[07:51:04]subrosa973: Any progress?

[07:51:18]enigma308: Some. Dana kept good care of my files. BLACKLIGHT's genome is nicely tucked away on my computer, though I need to get the samples that Hunter and I collected in the subways sequenced.

[07:51:25]subrosa973: Need me to do anything?

[07:51:34]enigma308: I'll be sending Hunter back to you later, and I want Nathan in here with me. Could use with a smile here instead of a grumpy pink blob.

[07:51:49]subrosa973: Sure. Corporal's out getting some food right now, you want any?

[07:52:08]enigma308: I don't get hungry like you, Cross.

[07:52:21]subrosa973: Nate left a hot dog on top of the coffee maker before the Hunter showed up.

[07:52:29]enigma308: I left that hot dog on the coffee maker after Nathan told me he had gotten one for me.

[07:52:38]subrosa973: Uh...

[07:52:43]enigma308: Did you eat it?

[07:53:13]enigma308: You did eat it, didn't you?

[07:53:48]enigma308: Fuck you.

* * *

I tried to set my animosity towards Cross aside as Hunter and I continued to work. A few on the team looked, watching as we worked without the normal hazmat suits.

One tapped on the window and pointed towards a small bit of dismembered gristle trying to make its way into a corner. I looked at the Hunter, who reached a tendril from his back and consumed it.

**Seems your sister is more active than I thought. **

_**When you head back to Red Hook, ask Cross to bring it up with Blackwatch.**_

**There... was something I feel is not quite right. Why is Blackwatch suddenly so cooperative?**

_**How would I know? All I know is I should take advantage of the opportunity.**_

**But this does not seem as opportune as it should be. It seems like Blackwatch is in a tighter spot than it has ever been before.**

_**Again, take advantage of the opportunity. They've already taken advantage of everyone at GENTEK, so why not take advantage of their generosity? It's not like we're killing any more soldiers than we have to.**_

**It still does not seem right. But I have been wrong before.

* * *

**

An hour after the Hunter left, Nathan arrived.

"Nathan."

"Alex."

We stared at each other for a few moments, then Nathan reached out a long tendril to pull a seat to him.

"What's going on, Alex?"

"You mean what I'm doing right now, or what the hell is happening outside?"

"Outside."

_**Better to talk this way. Anyways, Cross and the Hunter should be talking with Blackwatch right now about what the Hunter felt was happening. There were a few things going above and beyond what ordinary infected could do while they were under Greene's control. Since Dana hasn't gained consciousness yet, it's safe to say that either she's influencing the infected beneath the detection of GENTEK's equipment, or her body upstairs is an empty shell.**_

_So... you have no idea? I was attacked at least five times on my way over here._

_**Any more difficult than before?**_

_Not by much. But it was definitely harder. The infected have evolved just slightly, enough to merit creating hives._

_**You know why I wanted you here with me, instead of out there fighting?**_

_Why?_

_**Because this place is underground. Do you understand?**_

_Underground means... Oh shit._

_**Right. Hydras. I need you to ensure that the cure is finished. Even if both of us die, you need to make sure the cure gets finished. I don't trust Cross with it, and the Hunter's too valuable to keep cooped up here. And I have to stay here because I'm the only one who can actually make a cure.**_

_So I just need to sit around and wait for a Hydra to kill you before I spring into action?_

_**I mean you should be helping me out as much as you can. Dana'll find out what we're doing soon, and we need to finish the cure and get it to Blackwatch so they can mass-produce it and finish off the infection.**_

_And what about us?_

_**I'm engineering a counter-cure to make sure we don't get killed in the disinfection process.**_

_Selfish?_

_**I almost died once, remember?**_

_Yeah._

_**Well, I'm not risking it again. I'm not even sure my own DNA can be separated from BLACKLIGHT anymore. I would have to run a few tests for that, and it would take too long to get the results. And I don't trust Blackwatch's labs to do it for me.**_

_I'd agree. So what do you need now?_

_**Prepare some microscope slides for me, will you?**_

_How the hell do I do that?

* * *

_

"Director, always a pleasure to not see your face."

"And witty as ever, Mercer."

"Touché. What did you want to talk about?"

"The issues that Captain Cross and his pink friend brought up with me earlier. You trust them entirely?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Both of them have tried to kill me. I don't trust them entirely yet, but I feel it is safe to trust them. For now, at least."

"Then your pink friend is sure about your sister's activity?"  
"I felt it, though he is more sensitive to such things. I want to put Dana through some scans and stuff, make sure nothing is wrong. Greene may have changed her physiology significantly, and for all we know, her 'brain' might not be in her head anymore, if you get what I mean."

"You tell me what you are doing, Mercer. Any progress?"

"Some. I need to do some DNA sequencing, X-ray crystallography, a computer to crunch all the numbers and figure out protein structures, among other things."

"Everything except the X-ray crystallography is already at GENTEK. In the lab you currently work in, as well."

"Then I wasn't informed of where everything is."

"I want that cure finished soon. It is bad enough dealing with the President and passing 'promising' information to the White House for publication. I need some good news, and soon." The Director hung up, his face remaining on screen for a moment after a barely audible click.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. It was hard to keep my biomass from forming into a raised middle finger.

* * *

_Alex, any progress?_

_**Some, but not enough. Still need more samples.**_

_Want me to head out to get some?_

_**I'm going as well. I need some fresh air. And what if Dana strikes? It's better for us to stick together, just in case something happens.**_

_Right._

_**I'll be at the elevator as soon as I get everything here locked down.**_

_I need some fresh air like... now. Meet you at the safe house._

_**Don't get killed.**_

_You know how hard it is to kill me. I'm not that weak, you know._

_**Sure, sure. Be careful, though. You never know what might happen out there. And try to keep from causing fender benders as you go through Times Square, okay?**_

_God! You're not my fucking mother. Jeez.

* * *

_

I let the office toy keep going as I turned out the lights and pulled the door closed. The officer at the door had apparently changed, but he saluted me anyways as I left. I gave him a nod as I passed him into the elevator.

The ride back up five hundred feet was boring, to say the least. I almost wished a Hydra would burst through the concrete bunker of the lab that Blackwatch had created underneath the GENTEK building, just to make things interesting for me. Two minutes felt a lot longer than it should have.

When the doors opened, I stepped out at the receptionist, smiled a fake smile, then pushed my way through the revolving doors. I wouldn't be climbing the GENTEK building to get height tonight.

* * *

When I got to the safe house, Nathan was waiting for me, a cup of instant noodles and plastic fork in hand.

"Ready to go, Nathan?"

"Ready." He finished his food quickly.

"Alex..."

"What?"

"I've got this sense that something's not right."

That set my mind racing. "What do you mean?"

"Like I'm not the same."

I tried to keep myself calm. The Supreme Hunter knew what he was doing. It wasn't likely he would screw up, unless he had overlooked something. Or did he mean for Nathan to warm up to him before the idea he planted gradually disappeared?

"Not the same?"

"Like something was changed. Inside."

"We can talk about it once we're out there killing stuff."

"...Right." Nathan put his hand on my shoulder and reformed himself into a bulge of biomass on my back.

* * *

I hadn't wielded Nathan's weapon forms for a while, so I was surprised to find he had created new forms.

One moment I was flicking around a nine-foot whip, and then suddenly I was holding three feet of bloody serrated edge.

I also found Nathan was using the Hunter's ability unconsciously. Whenever I slashed, hacked, or crushed an enemy with Nathan as a weapon, he would instinctively consume anything he hit. Hunters and Leaders took slightly longer, but they too fell after only a few blows.

_**Can you try to make a second weapon form, in my other hand?**_

_Not sure. Let me try it._

A switchblade flowed into my left hand. I flipped it around, testing its balance.

_**That's a nice touch.**_

_I wasn't sure what to make. I mean, your right hand is dominant in fighting, so your left hand can't be carrying anything really heavy._

_**Your weapon forms aren't heavy in the first place. **_

_Touché._

I decided not to ask him about how he had learned the Hunter's knack for consuming things.

* * *

Nathan and I stumbled back to the base where we had first met.

"Remember this place, Nathan?"

"Yeah."

"So now you should tell me what you think is wrong about yourself."

Nathan leaned against the wall. "Alex, I'm just not sure. I feel like something's wrong with my memory, but I don't know what's wrong with me."

I had to lie. I couldn't let Nathan know that I had betrayed his trust by allowing the Supreme Hunter to modify his memory. He would find a way to kill me if he found out.

"Well, let's let the Supreme Hunter take a look at you. He worked some magic with my memory a few weeks ago, before I fell into that coma."

"Sounds like a good idea." Nathan sat down on the ground, cross-legged. "Hey, Alex, I wanna ask you something."

"Sure."

"Have you lied to me before?"

I hesitated. I had just lied to him a moment before. Could I lie to him again?

"If I told you that I've lied to you before, Nathan, would you understand that I did it to protect you?"

Nathan laughed. "I would threaten you with my blade, but then you'd probably throw something I haven't seen before at me and get away safely. So yes, I understand. I'd hate you for it, but that's only temporary. I mean, all of us, the captain, the Supreme Hunter, you, and I, we're a team. We can't be fighting with each other while we have a job to do."

"Please tell me Cross hasn't been putting you through motivational speeches."

"He's the least motivational person I can think of except my parents. All they need to mention is meatloaf and golf, and I'll stay away for another two years."

"Sounds terrible."

"You know why I cook so well? Because my parents ate out and never brought home leftovers, but they always brought groceries home. I had to cook for my little brother and sister, every night, unless it was Christmas, and then everyone would have to sit through burnt meatloaf and my dad's stories about how he killed a bird or a squirrel or a snake while he was playing golf a week earlier. Or something like that."

I put my hand on Nathan's shoulder. "Funny story. I don't really want to share mine, though."

"Why not?"

"Cause it isn't a good story. Rather violent, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"My father was a drunken bastard. He'd go to work, stay out until 11, then come home and beat me in the middle of the night."

"What-?"  
"He'd wake up everyone, turning on every single light in the house, then he would proceed to beat me to a pulp."

"Why?"

"I don't think he ever had a single reason."  
"Sounds terrible."

"But it taught me how to keep to myself, because I remember going to my mom about it and she couldn't do anything. I learned to keep things to myself. No one else could help me with my problems. I stopped trusting people. That's how Penn Station happened."

"Yet now you're placing trust in me and Cross and the Supreme Hunter. And you were supposed to be killed in Penn Station."

"Because there's BLACKLIGHT. And it tells me I can trust you. And Cross and the Supreme Hunter. And I realized that I could trust people to be untrustworthy."

"BLACKLIGHT only explains so much. And lay off on the logic, Alex. I'm a soldier. I don't like thinking too hard."

I sat down next to Nathan. A UAV floated over head, then pointed a green eye at us.

"Weird. Alex, ya think the technicians changed the coding in those things?"

"Maybe. From the looks of it, they probably did."

[/14]

A/N: "Drunken father beating his son" is rather clichéd. I think I'll change it when I edit everything again. Had to come up with something, and that was the first thing that came to mind.

[14.5]

A tendril on Cross's back twitched angrily. Mercer had just sent "Fuck you." over the network, and Cross wasn't entirely sure anymore where he could place his loyalties.

And then he realized Mercer was worrying about the corporal's friendly gesture. Cross regretted tearing into the food as ravenously as he had. He had been hungry after showing the soldiers outside the capabilities of the foe they faced.

The corporal had peered into the bunk room and watched as Cross leaned against the post of his bunk and typed his mission logs. Apparently tired of just watching, the corporal sat down on Cross's bunk facing his superior and started to write his own mission logs.

"Nothing to do, sir?"

"Nothing, Nate. Boring as a day without coffee or something to kill."

"You think Alex can fix all of this in the lab?"

"Possibly." Cross looked up and shrugged. "Maybe. He's definitely capable of pulling it off. He just needs time. Look at how long he worked on BLACKLIGHT before Penn Station, then look at what he made it do."  
"Trigger the use of an untraceable nuke to eliminate its existence?"  
"And then save New York City from said nuke." Cross chuckled. "Ironic, isn't it?"

"If you consider the top field soldier in Blackwatch got infected and is now working with the primary carrier, along with another soldier and an organism capable of killing said soldiers and primary carrier? Yes. Very ironic, sir."

"Nate, you know how much I hate the term 'sir'?"

"How much, sir?"

"Enough to make me want to throw that thing at you with it turned on." Cross looked over at the shock baton propped up against the rest of his weapons. "I have a first name, you know."

"Robert?"

"Good, at least something slightly interesting happened today. Now, Nathan, keep me interested for the weeks while we wait for Alex to finish making a cure."

"Wanna take a tour of Brooklyn, then?"

"I don't have civilian clothes, corporal."

"Well, Alex has plenty at the safe house."

"I couldn't find the safe house if you held a gun to my head. And please don't."

"That's very tempting, Robert."

"Okay, calling me by my first name is weird. I think I almost prefer 'sir' again."

"Yes, sir!"

"Ugh. Fuck you. I'm going out. When the Supreme Hunter gets back, head over to GENTEK and go to the labs where Mercer is."

"Got it, Robert."

Cross gave the corporal the middle finger and left.

[/14.5]

A/N: Hmm... I've got the entire plot already charted out. Just need to do some housecleaning before I tie up some loose ends and end this sad, sad fic.


	15. Stress

A/N: *mumbles something about author's notes*

[15]

Transforming and using my powers still caused a scene on the street, but it seemed that even if I did it face-to-face with a Blackwatch soldier, the effect on the crowd would die down rather quickly without Marines pointing their guns at the crowd and at each other and at nearby Blackwatch soldiers.

So they didn't think I was a threat anymore. Or at least, I was a threat that was nowhere as troublesome as the problem looming overhead.

The cure, as it happened, targeted the single weak link of the original BLACKLIGHT: reverse transcription. In the strain I was infected with, there was no such weakness. I would be safe against my own cure, but I decided to vaccinate myself anyways. I offered the vaccine to Nathan, Cross, and the Hunter the day before I sent my results to Blackwatch to produce on a larger scale.

"Can't do much harm to you guys. I've already used it on myself."

"You sure, Alex?"

"I'm sure, Nathan."

"Seems a little too good to be true. You worked out all the kinks, Mercer?"

"Yeah."

"And this will not kill us, ZEUS?"

"If I wanted to kill you, Hunter, I would have spent more time in the lab thinking of ways to make sure you can't come back again."

Nathan and Cross chuckled behind the Hunter, who promptly turned around. They stopped laughing. I broke the silence.

"I'm sending my work to Blackwatch so they can make the cure on a larger scale."

"And spreading it? What will happen with that issue, ZEUS?"

"I don't know how Blackwatch wants it to be delivered, but if it's going to be like the Bloodtox blowers, then they'd better have it ready. And the facility had better not be on the island, or the infected are likely going to go after it."

"Great plan. Now what are we going to do while we wait for New York City to be disinfected? You seem to have plenty of ideas, Mercer."

"Nothing much to do, unless Blackwatch wants us to hunt down the infected that refuse to go down. Well, we should probably take a break."

"Who wants to go out and eat? I don't feel like cooking anything tonight."

* * *

As it turned out, Blackwatch took its sweet time preparing the cure. And in the meantime, the four of us kept slaughtering our way through the slowly thinning crowd of infected. The infected were even less organized now, and no one was sure what was going on.

While we waited for Blackwatch to airlift the cure back to Manhattan to be distributed, I asked the Supreme Hunter to look into Elizabeth Greene's memories and try to interpret them into something less confusing.

"Can you figure anything out?"

**Some, but not very much.**

"I thought your biomass came directly from her."

**I have changed since then.**

"Well, then... Can't you still figure it out?"

**The very early memories, yes. I have them myself, so I can cross-reference them to what I already know. But the newer memories I cannot decipher.**

"Weird."

**Yes.**

"Any idea, though?"

**There is something I believe you should see for yourself.

* * *

**

Reliving Greene's memories wasn't pleasant, especially with the Supreme Hunter intervening to recreate it in a more understandable way. All I could make out was Greene talking with someone... Randall! How?

Was it a faked memory?

**No.**

_**Then what is it?**_

**This is one of the memories I had a copy of. I thought it was important.**

_**Greene talking to Randall... Do you remember what their conversation was about?**_

**Not well.**

The Supreme Hunter fast-forwarded through his memory, bringing me to the point where Greene and Randall nodded at each other. Greene, despite being chained to the bed, stood and smiled at the then-Lieutenant Randall.

_**Well, that's disturbing.**_

**Watch this next part.**

I watched as Randall saluted back at Greene.

_**Okay, that's it. I'm going out there and beating some answers out of Cross. **_

**Do you want me to come along?**

_**Sure. You can help me extract some answers.**_

The Supreme Hunter let his memory finish. I saw something blur near Randall's missing arm, but then the Hunter's memory ended.

* * *

Cross wasn't happy when we found him. There had been times where work hit a bottleneck. Sometimes strands of DNA needed sequencing, and so I had had time to do other business. I spent a good deal of time finding a new place to stay if Dana's safe house was to become compromised.

The Hunter and I extracted our answers from Cross in as painless a way as possible. Cross had little control over the virus and was only able to make tendrils from his forearms and hands. With the Supreme Hunter formed into armor, I drew Cross into a tight hug and waited as the Supreme Hunter went to work copying Cross's memories.

"What the fuck are you two doing?"

"Just getting answers, Cross."

"Answers to what?"

"i just need to know more about something that I can't share with you yet."

"What the hell is with your secrecy?"

"Cross, if I told you, there would be no point to the secret. And I need to know before I decide on a course of action."

"Fine. Can we sit down somewhere and finish this operation?" Cross motioned towards a staircase leading into an apartment complex. Being too close to a Hive, its inhabitants had already fled.

"Sure." We sat down, and Cross and I watched as Nathan obliterated a Hive down the street. He yelled and did a backflip.

**Done. Seems Cross knew that Randall-**

_**Just tell me about it later.**_

Nathan came up and sat down next to us. "What's going on, Alex?"

"There's this thing that the Hunter showed me, and something doesn't feel right about it."

"What is it, then?"

"I feel like it's something I can't let you two really know about until I'm sure it's something we should worry about."

"Anything less depressing we should know about, Mercer?"

"Blackwatch says they can start the disinfection in a few days."

"That's good."

"And the Director wants us to help out with catching the infected that manage to slip the net."

"Fair enough."

"... Okay, I'll admit it. I'm not comfortable with this. Something's wrong."

"How could anything be wrong?"

"It's just... not right."

"So then what's wrong, Mercer?"

"...Something."

"Great, Alex. Vague and unspecific. If i stopped being sarcastic, I might worry. Might."

"Hunter, I need to talk to you about some stuff in private."

"Sure, ZEUS."

Nathan and Cross both got up and started racing each other to the next Hive. The Hunter and I waited until they had turned three blocks away before we began to discuss the Hunter's findings.

**Cross knows that Randall made a deal with Greene. Years ago.**

_**Deal? What deal?**_

**A deal to keep REDLIGHT under Blackwatch control. Greene and PARIAH were the only two that possessed REDLIGHT then, and so when Randall made a deal to make REDLIGHT exclusively Blackwatch property, he was essentially making it possible to infect Blackwatch soldiers with REDLIGHT and not have it take as devastating an effect, because Greene would moderate its activity to boost strength and metabolism without decreasing intelligence.**

_**What sort of deal is that?**_

**I also found that Randall was an acceptable host for REDLIGHT. When Greene bit him, he cut his arm off. But he was already infected beyond the portion he cut off. He just removed the highest concentrated amount of REDLIGHT, while there was still a small amount that remained.**

_**So was Greene controlling him?**_

**No, he was able to resist the virus. But since the virus had made him physically stronger and able to age slower in addition to making him immune, he was able to strike a deal with Greene.**

_**Did you find out the details of the deal besides moderating REDLIGHT?**_

**Greene would aid Blackwatch. At all times.**

_**Shit.**_

**Indeed.**

_**So we can't trust Nathan or Cross?**_

**I have a feeling the corporal does not know. But the captain definitely has knowledge of the deal and is likely in on it.**

_**But since Greene is gone, she can't force him to obey Blackwatch orders, right?**_

**That would be a bit questionable. Remember that I was able to influence the corporal after I planted ideas and blocked parts of his memory. If leftover remnants of me could turn the corporal so thoroughly back to being friends with you, then what could Greene do planting entire masses of obedient flesh in Blackwatch soldiers?**

_**So you're saying it's possible that Cross has it ingrained in him to obey Blackwatch orders, even if there's no external pressure on him?**_

**You explain things well enough yourself.**

_**Shit.**_

**Indeed.**

_**And what about Nathan?**_

**Same again.**

_**Shit.**_

**Indeed.

* * *

**

All of a sudden I wasn't sure if Nathan or Cross could be trusted. I didn't even know if the Supreme Hunter could be trusted, given his history.

**Your choice to trust me or not.**

But I didn't know. All I knew was what he had already showed me, what he had told me and proven to me.

Dana wasn't the enemy. She never was. Blackwatch was the one to take down. And I would make them pay.

[/15]

A/N: Ah, yes. Wiki, beautiful tool that it is. Saved my life again. I noticed in Chapter 9 that I wrote the 73rd floor instead of the 51st floor. (got that info off the [P] wiki) Major oops, but that's been fixed.

[15.5]

Cross looked up at the blood-red sky. Under the Supreme Hunter's tutelage, he had learned to tap the Hive Mind and utilize Mercer's so-called "infected vision". But he hadn't yet learned how to turn it off entirely. The slight buzz that constantly rang in his head kept him awake at night, and he had already sought the corporal's help on the matter. Nathan had no problems with it, as he had already mastered the use of infected vision, but couldn't pass on his experience. And so Cross couldn't get any restful sleep.

He could hear whispering voices coming from the subconscious of the others as they slept. They never ceased talking at night, when the others were fast asleep and difficult to rouse. Coffee was out of the question for Cross: near-drowning, supersoldiers, vomit-covered beds, et cetera.

One night Cross decided to count. He counted and counted until he had counted seven thousand voices. And then he finally fell asleep.

* * *

Cross woke up staring into a faceful of pink. The Supreme Hunter was grinning at him inches away from his face.

"Excuse me, Hunter."

"Sleep well, captain?"

"Uh... yes. Thank you." Cross scooted out from underneath the Supreme Hunter, who was leaning over the side of the couch Cross was sleeping on.

The Supreme Hunter sent out a tendril and dragged Cross back. Cross got another faceful of pink, then shuddered as the Supreme Hunter attached and morphed into his trademark pink armor form.

"We're not fighting anything, are we?"

**Nothing major. Just a Hunter outside and a Hydra.**

Cross got up and moved to get coffee. The Supreme Hunter sent a tendril out and snagged a hot cup of coffee from the counter, then guided it to Cross's hand.

**Come on. We need to go.**

"Where's Nate?"

**He went to Battery Park.**

"And Mercer?"

**In the lab.**

"I thought he finished."

**Not yet, apparently.**

Cross pushed open the door leading to the roof.

**To your left.**

Cross looked left. A Leader Hunter roared in his face.

"What. The. Fuck."

**Let me handle this one.**

Cross felt the Supreme Hunter guiding his body into motion. He watched as his body flipped over the side of the building. He felt the Supreme Hunter's biomass collecting into his arms and experienced its release as the Supreme Hunter released biomass into the ground. And then the sky went black as a hollow spire of biomass erupted around him where he had landed. Just before it went dark, Cross looked up and watched as the Leader Hunter, unable to alter its trajectory, was impaled.

The Supreme Hunter used a portion of Cross's accumulated biomass to completely absorb the Leader Hunter's dying corpse. The borrowed biomass was quickly paid back with interest as the Supreme Hunter drew the biomass spike back.

"Nice touch."

**Thank you. But we should move. The corporal tells me he needs both of us there.**

"Okay, sure. I've got a feeling I'll need my tools." With the Supreme Hunter's help, Cross scaled the side of the building and retrieved his weapon pack.

* * *

Cross leaned against a transport and watched as a convoy of APCs moved more soldiers deeper into the city. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find Nathan, drenched in what appeared to be sewer water.

"Good timing, Captain. I could use a hand down below."

"What's going on?"

"Seems like there's an sudden epidemic of cold-like symptoms going around."

"Blackwatch soldiers don't get sick. We have BLACKLIGHT in all of us."

"That's what I'm worried about, Captain."

"Then why are you drenched in sewage?"

"Don't ask."

"Don't tell. Show me."

* * *

Descending into the sewers below New York City was far worse than entering the subways. First of all, it was dirty. For some reason, the creatures that dwelled within loved to hoard shiny candy bar wrappers. Nathan and Cross didn't even need special vision to see in the tunnels.

Second, it stank. Blackwatch-issued gas masks kept only biological matter out, not molecules that assailed the olfactory sense. Nathan had his armor form to keep out most of the stink, but Cross had no recourse but to ask the Supreme Hunter to filter the scent out for him. After a few uncomfortable breaths, Cross asked the Supreme Hunter to shut off his sense of smell instead.

Last of all, the infected had been here before. Red and black vines were attached to every possible crevice of the sewers, creeping in and out of drainage pipes and periodically blocking passage through the tunnels. Cross avoided them like the plague.

* * *

An infected black cat crossed their path, yowling and hissing as it fled from Nathan, Cross, and the Supreme Hunter. Cross crossed his fingers and saw that Nathan was crossing his fingers too.

"Superstitious, corporal?"

"I've been pretty darn unlucky in the past. Doesn't hurt to be a bit on the safe side."

"Ever think of religion?"

"With God-knows-what-kind of shit happening in the Blackwatch laboratories? I find it hard to trust in religion for answers anymore."

"So..."

"So I mean I don't believe in any faith, but I used to belong to a Lutheran church. There, happy?"

"No. But I know I shouldn't ask any more."

"Better not."

* * *

"Damn it, corporal. I need coffee."

"...This isn't a good time for a sudden coffee urge, captain."

Cross looked around. A little bit of light, shining through the tiny hole in the manhole cover. And then it suddenly went dark. The street above was clearly bustling with activity. Cross had an urge to climb up and punch the cover off, letting whatever cars got in his way to crash while he satisfied his coffee cravings at the nearest coffee shop.

"Corporal, what the hell are we doing down here, anyways? We've gone at least two miles up Broadway by now."

"...Okay, I'll tell you the truth. I, uh... I need to talk to you and the Supreme Hunter about Alex."

* * *

"So that's what you think of him?"

"Yeah."

"That is not a good way of putting things, corporal. ZEUS is not like what you say."

"Then what is he like, Hunter?"

"He has a sort of strength that none of the rest of us can command. In terms of physical and psychological strength, he can defeat each of us in both aspects."

"So..."

"He would kill you if he saw fit to do it."

"Fucking shit."

"Indeed."

Cross eyed the Hunter warily. There was an oddly mischievous glint in the Hunter's eye, and that couldn't mean anything good. The past few times Cross had seen the same look in the Hunter's eye, he was also the subject of some very painful flashbacks. A few were also particularly embarrassing, and the Hunter, being the one to unlock Cross's repressed memories, seemed to enjoy the ensuing hilarity.

But Cross stayed silent this time. Nathan was with him, and he had been subjected to the Hunter's memory-modifying capabilities in order to repress his hostility towards Mercer. Anyways, this was a good time for the Hunter to restore Nathan's memories to normal, as Mercer was busy making sure his cure would defeat the wild mutations of BLACKLIGHT currently present in the city.

Cross tried to send a message over the Hive Mind to the Hunter but found himself unable to. He needed time to learn all the tricks Mercer and the corporal had learned, and he was, for some reason, a very slow learner when he had to learn to manipulate the virus to his will. He didn't understand why, as he had been injected with BLACKLIGHT far before either Mercer or the corporal. But he didn't complain.

[/15.5]

A/N: *mumbles some more about author's notes*


	16. The Ruins of My Life

A/N: Oh no, no Chapter 16.5!

[16]

With that decision, I started planning. Cross knew too much. He had to go. Nathan, being a clueless soldier, would die for his superior without question. I intended on getting as much information out of Cross as I could, so the Supreme Hunter and I would consume him. Nathan was a nice guy, though. I somewhat liked him. I would consume him so if I found a way to get him back, I would.

"What do you think, Hunter?"

"I agree with consuming the captain. He is a bit troublesome sometimes."

"And Nathan?"

"Having to kill the corporal is regrettable, ZEUS. Any way you could notify him of it beforehand?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to risk alerting Cross."

"Then the corporal will die unless you intend on taking down the captain on your own."

"I did it once before. I can do it again."

"It would be safer for the both of us to eliminate Cross together. Then we can worry about the corporal."

"Fine."

* * *

The Hunter and I started to use the lab as our meeting place. It was unlikely that Nathan or Cross would come down just to see us, so our plans were safe.

We planned extensively, and with the Supreme Hunter on the surface setting the traps for Nathan and Cross from our plans and me biding my time in the lab, everything fell into place.

We were ready. The Reagan was going to happen all over again.

* * *

The Supreme Hunter started our plan for Nathan while I listened in.

**Corporal, something is happening in Harlem. I need to get the captain. Hurry!**

_What about Alex?_

**ZEUS, are you listening?**

_**Yeah. I heard.**_

**Then head to Harlem and look for the corporal.**

_**Got it.**_

I had worked on it for days in my head to get it just right. It would have been far more difficult to get it right without my acquired skills. For once, I was glad I consumed those four drunken actors on the street during the first few days of the infection.

Nathan would find none of us in Harlem. The Hunter and I would be finished with Cross before Nathan would realize that we had tricked him.

_What's happening in Harlem?_

**I felt something through the Hive Mind.**

The plan nearly fell apart there. The whole plan hinged on Nathan being oblivious to our plan and heading to Harlem without questioning the Supreme Hunter too much.

_What is it?_

**I have no way of being sure. I only recently managed to hear the infected again. **

_Okay, I'll go look into it._

Nathan seemed to have been duped. I headed off to Battery Park to confront Cross with the Supreme Hunter.

* * *

Battery Park was mostly empty when I arrived. All Cross could have possibly seen was a shadowy hooded figure staring down from the top of the nearest skyscraper.

The Supreme Hunter vaulted over the edge and stood beside me.

"Ready, ZEUS?"

"To find the truth? Of course."

The Supreme Hunter leaped off the edge of the building and glided to land on a streetlight below. I dropped down and circled around to the other side of the base. Quiet. The Supreme Hunter made a quick flash of red over the Hive Mind, a signal to wait.

I watched as the Supreme Hunter made his way into the building to find Cross. He would take Cross to Washington Square, and we would eliminate Cross there after revealing our intention to him.

I waited for the flash of green. When it came, I glided north.

I waited in the middle while the Hunter and Cross started their run. As they entered the park, I stood up from the bench I was sitting on and readied my Whipfist and shield.

Cross noticed the end of my Whipfist a moment too late. I jumped and retracted my Whipfist to draw myself closer to him. The Supreme Hunter grabbed Cross and anchored him while I stuck my foot out in front to send Cross to the ground.

I closed my eyes and waited. I heard Cross's grunt as I caught his throat under my heel, then a gasp of pain as he hit the ground hard. I retracted the Whipfist from Cross's side and reformed it into a blade. The Hunter snatched Cross's weapons out of his reach, then pinned him to the ground with a modified Groundspike.

I took my weight off of Cross's body and held my blade to his throat. "You're probably wondering why we're doing this, right?"

Cross had been stunned for a moment as he hit the ground, and he hadn't yet fully recovered from the shock.

"Wh-what?"

"The reason I'm attacking you right now is because you're a little close to a person I would very much like to kill now."

"Kill? Mercer, what the hell are you talking about? I'm not aware of anyone that you would want to kill."  
"You don't think you're close with anyone. But in reality, you are. The Director."

Cross was clearly annoyed, and he struggled against the Hunter's grip. "How the hell am I close to the Director? The current Director only came on about a month ago after the last one committed suicide!"

"How would you know?"

"There are a few people on the inside that tell me! Goddamnit, let me go, Hunter!"

"Then what do you know of Randall's deal with Greene?"

Cross froze. He clearly knew something. "I... I can't tell you."

I made a shallow cut on Cross's arm. Cross screamed as the Hunter dug his tendrils in and prevented Cross's regeneration.

"Okay, Mercer, I'll fucking tell you!"

"What was it about?"

"Randall and Greene agreed to use the virus to boost Blackwatch soldiers' physical and mental abilities."

"And?"

"She was able to gain control over Blackwatch soldiers that way."

"And?"

"Randall was already infected, but he was somewhat resistant."

"So..."

"Afterwards, Greene coerced Randall into agreeing with her every whim once she got every single Blackwatch soldier infected. No one was spared from the needle."

"And you just happen to be the strongest?"

"No. There was one who was stronger. But he disappeared a long time ago."

"Who?"

"PARIAH."

"Disappeared... as in what kind of disappeared?"

"His bunk was just empty one day."

"Anything else happen that day?"

"There was a new Director."

"No link?"  
"Now that I think about it, maybe."

I looked up at the Hunter. There was a tear in his eye, but I chose not to ask.

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"The Greene you killed was only a very minor part of her. The Supreme Hunter is PARIAH's father, transformed by the cure Greene made to make you subservient to her."

"How is the Supreme Hunter free from her grip, then?"

"He's died once before. You've died once before as well."

"So..."

"Dying breaks the grip she might have on you."

"So all I need to do is kill you and you'll be free?"

"Not that easy, Mercer."

"What do you mean?"

"You have to consume me."

"Okay, we already planned for that."

"And you need to be able to break her influence over me. I can already feel her trying to take control of me."

"So should I kill you now or not?"

"Let me go and run me through with your blade. I don't want to die by the hands of the Supreme Hunter, Mercer."

"Hunter, let him go."

The Hunter looked a bit disappointed, but released his bindings from Cross.

"Get up, Cross, and face your death like a man."

"We aren't really men anymore, Mercer. Only gears in a machine." Cross was clearly being influenced by Greene now.

"Hunter, stay out of this." I chose to keep my gaze fixed on Cross, but I knew the Hunter understood what I meant.

Cross rushed at me, fist balled up and raised high to hit as hard as he could hit.

I closed my eyes and let him hit me once. I felt a bit of hesitation in his blow, though. I knew Cross was struggling to resist Greene, and I decided to put him out of his misery.

I launched myself forward, burying my blade-arm into Cross's torso. I looked up at his face. He was crying now.

"Sorry, Mercer. Couldn't be of much help, could I?"

"I hate to do this to you, Cross." I let the tendrils loose, and they buried themselves into Cross's weakening body.

"I liked you a lot, Mercer. Take care while I'm gone."

I almost lost control of myself as Cross disappeared into me. "I won't forget this... sir." I fell to my knees as Cross's memories flowed into me and cried.

* * *

"What were you crying about, Hunter?"

"My son."

"PARIAH?"

"Yes."

"What about him?"

"That he is the Director, pulling all the strings according to how Greene wants everything done."

"He..." The realization dawned on me. "That fucking bastard."

"I want revenge of my own as well. Against Greene."

"Then we need to do some housecleaning before we set off."

* * *

Blackwatch soldiers all over the island were alerted to the Hunter and I. They knew, through Greene, that we were a threat again. But the Hunter and I knew the way around the city. We could flee to the Bronx if we needed to. The Hunter had already gone once across the Hudson.

Greene hadn't seen New York as it was now. She knew what it looked like long ago, when the subway lines were virtually nonexistant, and when there were no such things as commercial airlines. But she had no idea how to catch us now. No amount of Blackwatch knowledge could trump a native New Yorker's sense of public transportation and a monster's single-minded headlong rush towards its goal.

And all there was left was to take Nathan back from Greene. And then the Hunter and I could set off to wrest control of Blackwatch from her and set things right.

* * *

AE-One was where we found Nathan with a large group of supersoldiers. The Hunter unleashed his Devastator as we entered and then proceeded to consume the victims. There were weapons strewn about, left over from defending Ragland from the infected onslaught when he did his diagnostics on the cadavers almost two months ago. The Hunter ran around and gathered them in one corner while I cleared the courtyard with my own Devastators.

I let my tendrils sink into the supersoldiers' flesh. When the Supreme Hunter put his hand on my shoulder, I felt my tendrils begin to absorb biomass, converting the supersoldiers into strength I could unleash on more victims.

"Don't forget what we're here for, ZEUS."

"Nathan. Right."

* * *

When we entered the building, Nathan stood alone, battling several Leader Hunters at the same time.

"Alex! Help!"

I aimed a rocket at a Leader Hunter and pulled the trigger. The world exploded. When I had regained my balance, I saw that Nathan had thrown out a shield attached to a long tendril to detonate the shot prematurely.

His shield was still intact, though partially damaged.

"Alex, I hate to do this to you, but you have to go."

"I have to go where, Nathan?"

"To hell!" Nathan manipulated his biomass to form a scythe.

I held out my hand for the Supreme Hunter. He caught my hand and formed armor over my body. I formed my shield, which the Supreme Hunter bolstered, then willed my arm into a blade. It didn't change. Instead, the Supreme Hunter had redirected my biomass and formed a long dirk in my right hand.

**That's all you'll need, ZEUS. Use it well.**

_**Comforting, Hunter.

* * *

**_

When Nathan rushed, I wanted to block the incoming blade with my shield, but the Supreme Hunter forced me to turn my blade to block instead. I let him control the fight this time.

I watched as the Supreme Hunter maneuvered my body into blocking with the knife, then I realized that he had morphed the bottom of the shield into a sharp spike. Together, we drove the sharp point into Nathan's heart.

The Supreme Hunter quickly broke away from my body and turned the rest of his now-detached shield into a long stake. I grabbed the long end and jammed the point with Nathan on it into the wall. The Supreme Hunter melted into Nathan and forced him to his knees.

"Alex, what the hell!"

"If I don't kill you, Nathan, what would Greene force you to do?"

"Greene? I thought you killed her."

"Hunter, show him."

I put my hand on the end of the stake and let the Hunter retrieve Cross's memory. Nathan clutched his head and screamed as the memory flowed through him, then started to reach towards the stake I had driven through him.

"Do you understand now, Nathan? The Hunter and I need to do some housecleaning before the world can be set right again."

"So you had to kill me? And the captain?"

"I'm sorry, Nathan. Sorry I had to do this to you, to betray you and then kill you this way. But Greene left us no choice but to meet this way."

"Damn you, Alex. I knew you'd kill me in the end."

"Hunter, you have the honors this time."

**Thank you, ZEUS. Though I really do not want this on my conscience.**

_**Let it weigh on mine, not yours. I'm the one to blame for all of this.**_

[/16]

A/N: Yeah, I just killed Nathan. And Cross. So sue me.


	17. Pilgrim

A/N: AUGGGGGGH school sucks.

[17]

Nathan went quietly, without much complaint. It seemed as if Greene gave up once it was clear that the Hunter and I claimed their lives. Cross and Nathan both seemed to have a moment of clarity, without Greene's interference, just before they died. Cross had thanked me for freeing him from Greene. Nathan didn't resent the Supreme Hunter when he died.

Cross wasn't truly dead in the sense of the word, though. He was present in my consciousness, somewhat like a hand on my shoulder all the time. And something had awakened in him when he died. It seemed his body underwent severe changes when it died, giving him strength that he had lacked before.

"Hunter?"

"Yes?"

"How was Cross different from Nathan?"

"How should I put it? The captain was entirely alive. He had never experienced death before. The corporal, on the other hand, had once merged with you before you pushed him back out. He was not entirely alive because you gave him a significant portion of your own biomass when you forced him to reform."

"And how else were they different?"

"Cross did not have any specific abilities of his own granted by BLACKLIGHT. Nathan's abilities were given to him by your biomass, modified by his still-living cells."

"So you mean that... killing someone with BLACKLIGHT makes them stronger?"

"Only if that strain of BLACKLIGHT is compatible with the person."

"And how would you know if a person is compatible with a strain of BLACKLIGHT?"

"Greene made it so her version of BLACKLIGHT modifies itself to fit each Blackwatch soldier individually. Your variant, your own creation, was somehow matched to you. For a few short moments before your old self died, you were under Greene's influence. But the moment you died, BLACKLIGHT reanimated your dead cells beyond Greene's control. BLACKLIGHT is not ordinarily able to resurrect the dead. Your variant, though, seems to be capable of it. I've already added your variant to my own genetic makeup to see if it has any other abilities you might not yet be aware of."

"When did you become infected?"  
"I tried to run from Hope, but Blackwatch caught me. They saw that I had potential as a soldier. So they forced me to join their ranks. Greene made her deal with Randall only a few months after Blackwatch liquidated Hope."

"And then... they infected everyone in Blackwatch with REDLIGHT."

"At the time, yes."

"How did you get to New York?"

"Greene took me aside and forced a part of herself into me. That little bit of her controlled me until you injected the parasite into me. That injection separated that part of Greene from me, and I came out as the Supreme Hunter that stands before you now."

"And when I killed that little portion of Greene you talked about..."

"That part dropped out of connection with the real Greene."

"...So that's why no harm came to me."

"What is your name, Hunter?"

"...I cannot remember."

"Can't remember?"

"Greene took many memories from me. Some might have ended up with you, but I do not want to be intrusive and sort through yours to see which ones are mine."

* * *

We were driving west in a slightly used pickup truck. The Supreme Hunter was doubting my wisdom to leave Dana behind, but I reminded him that Blackwatch scientists weren't infected. Before we left New York, I had slipped a key to Dana's cell on the 51st floor to each member on the team. I asked them for a favor: "make sure Dana doesn't leave the 51st floor while I'm out and about". I didn't clarify "out and about". And once the cure was finished, they were allowed to go anywhere in the GENTEK building.

I was sure some of the team would try to get watch duty. And a few of them were bound to succeed. I had, after all, obliterated almost a third of GENTEK's employees. Blackwatch scientists didn't work in the GENTEK buildings, and even though Blackwatch soldiers could take watches, there had to be a biologist ready at all times for emergencies. Just in case.

The Supreme Hunter was convinced by my argument. Along the way, he managed to identify a large amount of undercover Blackwatch operatives. His senses were better honed than mine at detecting BLACKLIGHT.

* * *

Challenging Blackwatch at Area 51 wasn't a great idea. After all, I would be fighting on Blackwatch's home turf. I had to choose a place where Blackwatch was at a serious disadvantage. Antarctica was out of the question, and Two Bluff was too close to Area 51.

When the Supreme Hunter figured out when we entered Wyoming that we weren't stopping in Yellowstone, he started to complain.

"ZEUS, are you serious about Hope? That place is radioactive. I do not take well to radioactivity."

"I thought you copied my virus already. And I'm resistant. It's a few months away from forty years now. You'll be fine."

"If you say so..." The Supreme Hunter looked out the window and scowled.

"What's wrong, Hunter?"

"Nothing, ZEUS. The corporal speaks to me occasionally from deep in my mind."

"I haven't heard anything from Cross yet."

_So I'm dead, then, Mercer?_

I almost drove the truck off the road when I realized Cross hadn't entirely died. Just like Nathan when he had merged with me, Cross was able to remain above the rest of the horde of voices in my head.

"Well, Hunter. Guess who just talked to me in my head."

"The captain?"

"A hundred dollars to the BLACKLIGHT carrier in the passenger seat."

_Very funny, Mercer._

"And guess what? Cross learned the art of stating the obvious."

_Fuck you._

"He says 'fuck you.'"

I turned my eyes back to the road. I knew the Hunter would be sending a tendril into my shoulder to give Cross a lecture in a few moments. I felt a pinch and then the Hunter's loud and fatherly voice in my head. I tuned him out like the other voices in my head and continued to drive.

* * *

After a while, the ruckus in my mind quieted down and I listened to Cross sulk while the Supreme Hunter went back to sleep.

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a person riding a motorcycle behind us.

From the bright red color, I guessed it was a racing motorcycle. The road was rather straight, so I expected whoever it was to pass quickly and speed ahead.

He didn't. Instead, he pulled a gun and shot the back tires out.

"What the fuck!" I tried to wake the Hunter. He was a heavy sleeper, so I ended up using a tendril to jolt him back to life.

"What the-?"

The man on the motorcycle behind was swerving around to shoot the front tires out.

"Hold on, Hunter!"  
I hit the brakes. The truck turned and started to roll over and over and over. I grabbed the Hunter's shoulder. He understood my intention and quickly merged with me.

I brought up my shield and slammed a Hammerfist hard into the roof of the cab. It gave and the Hunter and I jumped out. I slammed my right hand into the ground and used it to stabilize myself.

A sniper round shattered my shield. I quickly brought up armor and rushed the motorcyclist.

Three more rounds slammed into my armor. I felt each penetrate and then exit the other side, with my biomass refusing to regenerate.

"Fuck!"

**Let me deal with it. Worry about that guy first.**

I tried changing my arm into a blade. It refused. I tried claws.

My claws had become simply overgrown fingernails. I kept running anyways and tackled the man.

* * *

I removed the man's helmet first. I found underneath a throbbing mass of pulsating pink biomass.

"What the fucking hell is this, Hunter?"

**Blackwatch.**

"Is this what happens if you stay in Blackwatch too long?"

**I cannot answer that question for sure.**

"Should I consume him? Or just kill him?"

**Use his weapon against him.**

"What the hell was with those rounds, anyways?"

I snatched the gun off the ground and stuck its point at what the body part that had been wearing the helmet. I pulled the trigger and started to consume the monstrosity.

**Seems like these rounds neutralize BLACKLIGHT for a while. They could be very useful. How many are there?**

"I dunno. But it seems like we won't be driving that truck anymore." I eyed the leftover carcass of the truck, half a mile away and smoking. "We should probably get going. This motorcycle looks nice."

The Hunter grunted in agreement. **Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?**

"If I didn't know, then the odds would be against us already. And I figured we had a good chance at killing Greene and getting at PARIAH."

**Fine.**

"What, you want to ride for a while?"

**No.**

"Your loss."

* * *

_Hey, Mercer. I've been looking through that motorcycle guy's memories. Just about as jumbled as a Leader Hunter's, but I managed to decipher it._

_**Let me see it, then.**_

Cross, after his death, had gotten very good at manipulating biomass. I usually went to sleep, but Cross was often wide awake and essentially took over while I rested. He had even learned how to morph my biomass into new forms.

The Hunter and I were staying the night in a small run-down motel. It was rather dirty and the beds were covered in a thin layer of dust, but we didn't mind. The whole place was likely to be destroyed the next day anyways. Greene would be looking around for clues and undoubtedly had an idea of where we were.

I threw the covers off the bed and let Cross play back the memory for me.

* * *

"Director, the threat in New York City needs to be contained." I got a feeling for Greene's poisonous words, even through a stolen memory.

"Something needs to be done."

"I propose we send... them."

"Yes."

"Write it up and I will have my couriers dispatch the message."

"I will do it soon."

* * *

_Mercer, if you're wondering, that was Greene and the Director. The Director sounds different from when I last heard him about two months ago, though._

_**Is that significant in any way?**_

_Only if you consider that the Director's voice has changed regularly over the course of the last thirty or so years. I've heard some recordings from the Director's desk, and the voice abruptly changes every few years. And when something like Ice Storm happens, the Director's voice changes even more often for the months immediately following the operations._

_**Odd. There isn't a new Director every few years, is there?**_

_Not that I'm aware of. I've never seen the Director's face. I wouldn't know._

_**And about that memory... The Director seems like he is in a trance.**_

_I thought that too. But he sounds like that all the time, even with different voices. His speech patterns stay the same with different voices, as well. ...He wouldn't be like you, consuming people left and right, would he?

* * *

_

The Hunter and I made a pit stop in Denver and purchased another racing bike. The Hunter chose a black motorcycle.  
We set out the next morning for Hope. The town, when we arrived, was still partially intact. Nuclear explosions, from the knowledge of several physicists I had consumed in New York, don't level a circular field, nor do they vaporize everything in its way. Concrete and steel withstand the blast, while exposed biological material chars and burns from the heat.

There were still weapons left behind where Blackwatch soldiers had fallen to the raging infection spearheaded by Elizabeth Greene. The Hunter and I gathered them up and tested each one before storing them in hidden places throughout the dilapidated town. They would be our back-up weapons in case we became victim to the BLACKLIGHT-disabling rounds we had been familiarized with already.

The Hunter was busy trying to adapt biomass to resist the effects of the rounds when the first helicopter flew over the little town. It was marked "Search & Rescue", but I recognized the chopper as a military helicopter. I was fairly sure no Search and Rescue teams would have an Apache flying over Idaho.

_**Better get ready, Hunter. They might be coming.**_

**I know. The helicopter overhead was a bit of an obvious hint.

* * *

**

We watched as the lone Apache landed. A man exited the helicopter, dressed in a formal business suit and wearing sunglasses. I noticed he was carrying a pistol inside his jacket. The Apache had no one else inside.

_**And who would this be, Hunter?**_

**No idea, ZEUS. But a man in a business suit flying a helicopter is not very good news to me.**

_**I'll go get those rounds ready to fire. Keep him busy.**_

**Understood. Are you sure about this, ZEUS?**

_**If these rounds can keep us from using our abilities, then it should be enough to knock any abilities that guy might have. I doubt Blackwatch distributes the latest virus to everyone, and I think we can take a chance and say this guy won't be immune.**_

**If you say so...**

[/17]

A/N: Damn it, I've been thinking of AP Literature too much. Looking back at what I wrote, I'm seeing things that I wouldn't have even worried about before. lol motorcycle color choice.


	18. For the Sake of Revenge

A/N: ...FINISH HIM.

A bit rough on the language for this chapter. I don't think the amount of swearing I used is into M-rated territory yet, so the rating on this thing remains at T.

AAAAND this is a really short chapter. Writer's block again, so I don't think I'll have Ch19 done in time... *sigh*

[18]

I looked through the scope and watched as the Hunter moved from position to position throughout the town.

I turned the rifle towards the well-dressed man. I could see he had a Blackwatch emblem pinned to his pocket, directly over the gun he had hidden inside his jacket.

_**Want me to shoot him? Or do you want me to wait for a moment?**_

**Wait for a moment. I will tell you when to move.**

The Hunter was getting very close to the Blackwatch operative, who was seemed to be heading for one of the military bunkers. The one where Greene had once gone. Greene seemed to think we would be in there, trying to find her origins and a way to defeat her. We already had our way: take away her strongest support.

But what support did she have?

* * *

...The Hunter was silent on that matter.

_**Nothing, Hunter?**_

**Nothing. I have no idea what direction you are thinking in. Greene's support? She seems rather self-sufficient at the moment.**

So the Hunter wasn't sure either. That made two clueless virus-wielding men in a town located in the middle of nowhere. In Idaho.

I turned back and watched as the suited man pushed the door to the bunker open and crossed the boundary.

_**Now should we follow him?**_

**I would be fine if we just took his helicopter, but I have a feeling this person has some information we need.**

_**Sounds fair to me. Let's go.**_

* * *

We followed the man inside the bunker. From Randall's memory, the man seemed to be making his way to the lab where the late General had once saved a doctor who was trying to salvage virus samples.

Something was wrong. Randall's memories told me that there was nothing left, even after Blackwatch came back and rummaged through the wreckage. Why would anyone want to head back there if there was nothing left?

**Maybe there was something left.**

_**Thank you for stating the fairly obvious, Hunter. The question now is what would have been left behind?**_

**More samples? Some that Blackwatch never retrieved? Maybe they wanted to get here before we did.**

_**No, they would have sent someone here while we were tied up in New York. It's a trap.**_

**Then if it is a trap, then we can spring it without worry. We already made sure that this place was deserted. There are two of us and one of him. We can take him, especially with your rifle.**

I readied the precious anti-BLACKLIGHT rounds carefully and loaded one into the rifle. It was a single shot I might be able to make, as reloading would take a few precious seconds that simply could not exist in the fight if there was to be one.

* * *

We reached the lab. The Hunter motioned for me to stay back, and I ducked behind a storage tank.

_**Ready, Hunter?**_

**As ready as I could ever be. I'm opening the door. Get your rifle ready.**

* * *

I propped the barrel of the rifle on top of the tank and aimed the sights through the door. The Hunter pulled a pistol as a ruse.

The Hunter drew me into his senses, and I watched as he turned into the door and pointed the gun at the man.

"Turn around, you motherfucker."

I was dimly aware of my own position, and I quickly forced my body to pick up the rifle again. If there was a problem, I would only have a few precious milliseconds to disengage from the Hunter and take the shot. I hoped it would be enough.

"Hunter. How convenient."

"I said TURN AROUND!" I watched as the Hunter fired a round into the ground next to the man's foot.

It took an eternity for the man to finish turning around, but once he settled back on his heels, it was clear. Jason, Nathan's friend. But how was he the Director?

**I have no clue, ZEUS. I have a feeling you should disengage from me and get that rifle aimed at his head. And soon.**

_**Got it.**_ I disconnected myself from the Hunter's senses and moved to have a clear shot.

_**Hunter, you're in the way.**_

**There is no way for me to move much here. Tell me when you can launch an attack.**

I watched as Jason sneered at the Hunter.

"And Mercer, you can come out now. No need to hide from me, I know you both too well." He let out a maniacal laugh. "You cannot resist Blackwatch. No matter how far you run, you leave a trail behind. That trail is too easy to trace, even for the least capable soldier."

_**Now, Hunter. Now!**_

I watched as the Hunter lunged forwards and vaulted over Jason's head. I waited for the Hunter to land on the other side before I pulled the trigger. The Hunter pulled his gun precisely at the right time for the bullets to collide directly inside what should have been the brain. But it did not fell the monster.

His destroyed face quickly regenerated. Jason smirked and pulled a needle from inside his suit. With a single motion, he injected its contents into the Hunter's unprotected jugular vein.

**ZEUS! Run! Their goal the entire time was to bring me back under Greene's control! Go, while you still can!**

_**No! Fuck, I can't lose another ally!**_

I froze there, watching helplessly as Jason and the Hunter both approached me.

"Finish him off, will you, Hunter?"

The Hunter was clearly in pain, but It seemed Greene's control was slowly taking over his own judgment. I decided to finish him off the same way as I had for Cross. I morphed my arm into a blade and charged.

The Hunter, it seemed, still had some degree of control over himself. No shield came up to block my attack, and no tendrils reacted as my blade-arm punched through his abdomen. When I pulled it upwards to disembowel him, no regeneration kicked in to heal him, and when my own tendrils drove into his body to consume him, I felt no resistance.

**Thank you, ZEUS. For ending it before the end.**

Without another thought, the Hunter willed his biomass to merge with me, and I unconsciously let loose a Devastator when he disappeared into me entirely.

_**Cross, you there?**_

_We're all here, Mercer. Nate, the Hunter and me. All of us. Just tell us what you need._

_**I need revenge. And I'm going to make sure they pay. Greene in particular.**_

_Well, Alex, that means you've gotta find a way out of this mess. There's nothing left here in Hope._

The helicopter outside took off.

_**Shit.**_

_Which bike are you going to take, ZEUS?_

_**...Does it matter?**_

_Red is a bit obvious on the road, Alex._

_**Oh fine. I'll take the fucking black one. Let's go. Any of you three have any plans for what to do once we get to Area 51?**_

_We're not in charge, Mercer. You are. You're the only one who can do what needs to be done now._

_**And you all forgive me for all that treachery and betrayal in New York?**_

_What is there to forgive? The captain and I betrayed you and the Hunter first._

_And keep in mind, ZEUS... they were coerced into betraying you. Just as I almost was._

_**Thanks, guys...**_

_You're far from a softie, Mercer. Be a man. Or a virus-infected superhuman freak, whichever you feel like being for the time being._

[/18]

A/N: ...FATALITY.

...Sorry, I had to crack a Mortal Kombat joke. Someone died, yes?


	19. In the Dragon's Den

A/N: Yup, still going. But I'm still suffering from writer's block. I think I need a break from LL&PB.

[19]

_Well, Alex, what are you waiting for? Let's go._

_**I've got a feeling they're waiting for us. They know I'm coming.**_

_They already knew you were going to Hope, Mercer. If they didn't figure it out, you would have been able to escape._

_**That's very true...**_

_And do not forget about your sister, ZEUS. You fight not just for our common cause, but for her as well._

* * *

The Hunter and I had deliberately purchased the same make and model of motorcycle when we bought the black motorcycle in Denver. I went over the red bike to make sure there wasn't a tracking chip hidden inside, and when I was satisfied, I swapped the red facade for the black one from the other bike. I swapped the plates, as well.

With all of the modifications I needed to make finished, I hid the leftover parts in the room where I had killed the Hunter.

_**Ready to go.**_

_Then get going, ZEUS._

_And Mercer, don't get yourself killed._

_I second that. Alex, I don't wanna die young._

_**Grow up, Nathan. Whine, wine, cheddar, chardonnay. And technically, the Hunter killed you.**_

_It was the only way, corporal._

_Yeah, whatever. I forgive you, Hunter._

_Mercer, you said you were going?_

* * *

The motorcycle, thankfully, lived up to its specifications. I watched as the miles flew by, and before long, I was a stone's throw from Area 51.

_**Only a little more to go.**_

_Good luck, Mercer. You'll need it to get through security._

_**Luck? I make my own luck.**_

* * *

The chance came a few days later, when a truck, marked "South by Southwest Freight Lines", left on the only road out of Area 51.

The truck driver wasn't a challenge to take down. He didn't even realize I was hunting him until just a few moments before he died.

I decided it would be better to finish the shipping job before heading into Area 51. But I also decided it would be good for me to take a peek at what Blackwatch was shipping around. I cut a hole in the bottom of the shipping container and slipped in.

With the help of a flashlight, I saw that Blackwatch was sending a machine of some sort. It had hypodermic needles protruding from every possible inch of space. There was a small space, though, for a person inside.

I pushed my way in and turned it on. The contraption shuddered for a moment, then dropped a needle on my lap, connected to a tank containing a translucent yellow liquid. It looked like blood plasma.

And then I realized it: this machine was used for recruitment.

_Got that right, Alex. Too bad I don't remember too much about this thing. First time I've ever seen the inside._

_This machine isn't good news, Mercer. Want to sabotage it?_

_**Was thinking about that, but I'm not sure I can get away with it.**_

_At least commit the design to memory, ZEUS. It might be useful later._

I spent a few minutes probing the inside, and after a while I decided to stick the needle the machine had given me into my arm.

It started to draw blood immediately. The plasma in the full tanks drained into me, while other tanks began to fill with my blood.

But these tanks were too large. I didn't have as much blood as the tanks held, so somewhere inside the machine there was some sort of machine that replicated blood. I filed away that tidbit of information and then broke all of the tanks and took back all of the blood. It would do no good to reveal that I had already tried the machine for myself upon delivery, but I could at least say it was damaged in transit.

* * *

Driving a truck was boring, but it gave me an easy way into Area 51, not to mention being able to meet high-ranking officers in private meetings. It was easy enough to make a fake body in private, and I quickly cast off my trucking identity and killed a particularly high-ranking officer for his form. I carefully crafted the fake body to throw off any autopsy reports.

_**Hey, Nathan, I think I'll need your hacking skills for a while.**_

_Sure._

_**Just remind me when it's 2:30. I need to show up for the officers' meeting so it doesn't look too suspicious.**_

* * *

Nathan apparently knew the Blackwatch network very well. Within minutes he was browsing through the Director's files, the Blackwatch archives, and the Blackwatch weapons database.

_Fuck, Alex, look! Fifty-four nukes, not including the one they almost blew up New York with!_

_**I doubt they would fire one here, though. It's too strategic a location to lose. They have too much stuff sitting around here.**_

_Well, Mercer, we don't know what the Director is thinking. And you need to get closer to him. Find a way to move up so you can have a clear shot at taking him down._

_**I think that was obvious enough. Congratulations, you're stating the obvious again.**_

_Fuck you, Mercer._

_I think I understand what you meant now, ZEUS. He definitely was stating the obvious._

* * *

At 2:30, I left to attend the officers' meeting. It felt odd, blending in with everyone else around me without being found, but I wasn't discovered. If all went well, Blackwatch would have no idea I was even in Area 51 until I struck at the Director.

But if the Director was as strong as he had been at Hope, then I had to make sure I could take him out.

A rifle wouldn't be enough.

_It definitely will not. And he probably has the latest virus, so it is probably worthless against him anyways._

_**Good point.**_

_Are you implying my ideas are pointless, Mercer?_

_**No, you just say stuff that's already apparent. Hunter, please shut him up.**_

_Gladly._

* * *

The meeting went smoothly, and I found that Blackwatch still had no idea I had infiltrated their ranks. I headed back to the office and let Nathan work on hacking the system again.

_**So we need to make a move from here. How do we do it? And what combination of powers do we have collectively?**_

_Nate has his hacking, and the Hunter has his memory modification. I don't know what I can do, though._

_**Would be good to experiment. Let's see what you can do, Cross.**_

* * *

For a few hours, Cross and the Hunter and I focused on figuring out Cross's ability. But we didn't find anything worth the distinction as "Cross's special ability".

_**Cross, you ought to have used it at least once before. Think about anything you did.**_

_Well, Mercer... there was that one time you were sleeping and I was talking with Nate. This is back on the road, before Hope._

_**Go on.**_

_Well... I was talking with Nate and I formed a ball of biomass in my hand. I dropped it and it separated from me entirely, and then while I was talking with Nate, I suddenly had a sense that I was able to feel his emotion very keenly. It felt much more vivid than what you and the Hunter sent back and forth through the Hive Mind._

_**So... did you figure anything else out?**_

_Without trying to, I felt like I was controlling both your body and the Hunter's. And when I tried to make the Hunter's arm move, it moved. And then I made Nate shut up._

_**...That's an odd ability. Anything else worth mentioning?**_

_It was weird?_

_**...Thank you again for stating the obvious. Hunter?**_

_You can shut him up this time by yourself, ZEUS._

* * *

After some more experimentation, we finally succeeded in creating the shape Cross had described. A little scarab-shaped creature was what Cross had created, and its sole ability was to enter a living thing and take control of it.

_**So now we know our abilities. Cross's mind control, Nathan's hacking, the Hunter's memory modification...**_

_What would yours be, ZEUS?_

_**Dunno. I'll figure it out eventually.**_

_If it's as worthless as ours, Mercer... we're screwed._

_I do not consider my ability worthless, Captain._

_...Damn it. I was hoping to get away with that generalization._

I chuckled to myself. Cross and the Hunter formed a perfect comedic pair.

_Do you want me to use my ability on you, Mercer?_

_**If you did, the Hunter would beat you to a metaphorical pulp. Again.**_

* * *

Nathan's digging around in the system was paying off. He had gained access to the Director's private files, and from the looks of it, located the Director's diary.

_**Well, Nathan... put it on screen and let's take a look at it.**_

_Okay... Copy it here and decrypt it, then..._

_**What's going on? Taking a while?**_

_Well, Alex... the security on this one's a little different. Give me a few more minutes, and I should be able to crack it._

_**...And back to the Cross and Hunter show.**_

_Mercer. We're not your fucking personal traveling circus._

_Though you seem like a barrel of monkeys on your own. I have no idea what you get when you put a barrel of monkeys in the same cage as a creature hungering for living flesh._

* * *

After a few more minutes, Nathan was able to crack the security and opened the Director's diary. For the next three hours, the diary held my attention and kept Cross, Nathan, and the Hunter ensnared in its perfect English grammar and flawless rhetoric.

[/19]

A/N: And yeah, this is probably the last update for a while. I need a break, and my parents are dragging me out on ANOTHER frackin' road trip. And I won't have access to the internet for a week. *sigh*


	20. Lost and Damned

A/N: Trying to break writer's block...

[20]

"December 11, 1984. Mother still whispers her commands to me, even though I often know better than she does about the soldiers' conditions. She tells me constantly to push them too far, sometimes even to a point where my power cannot keep them alive. But I cannot disobey her, otherwise she will kill me."

* * *

After a bit of reading, I was a bit surprised. The Director didn't like Greene?

_Apparently not. This could be useful, ZEUS._

_**It could be fake. The Director might already know I'm here. He might have planted this to throw us off.**_

_...Or the director could be entirely oblivious to our presence, Alex._

_**I would rather not take that risk.**_

_I have to go with Mercer on this one, Nate. We don't have any idea what the Director knows._

_**There's more to his diary entry, anyways. I'm interested in what the Director has to say.**_

* * *

"Today, for the first time in months, Mother did not hover over my shoulder to watch as I carry out business as usual. And today, I begin making my plans to escape. I write less today about what I see and hear from the soldiers and more about what I don't see and hear from the soldiers. What the soldiers do not see and hear is what I need to know. Mother can see and hear virtually anything I see and hear, so I must be careful to put my plans where she cannot reach them. There are more places than she thinks that are hidden from her, and I must make it a policy of my everyday wanderings to find those places. I need to know where she can never find me."

* * *

_**I think the Director is serious about this. I have a feeling this isn't faked.**_

_If that's what you think, Alex... act on your intuition. It's only been wrong once._

_**And it hasn't been wrong since. Right, Cross?**_

_...I think I've caught wind of your tactics. You're trying to make me say something obvious again, aren't you?_

_**No. I just want your opinion.**_

_Okay then, Mercer... I think the Director has been lying to me the whole time._

_**Oh, really? Hunter, I think he's stating the obvious again.**_

_I will shut him up after I give my own opinion. I think we should read a bit more and see if we can find one the Director's hidden cubby holes._

_**I would agree. Now will you shut him up?**_

* * *

I kept skimming through pages and pages of the Director's diary.

"December 14, 1984. Today some soldiers came up to me and asked..."

"December 16, 1984. One of the stoves in the kitchen blew up today..."

"December 19, 1984. A small mob of people left angry notes regarding the shipment of comic books that was supposed to arrive yesterday..."

"December 22, 1984. The camp is steadily growing colder, and the soldiers are becoming progressively more excited about the upcoming holiday..."

"December 24, 1984. The entire camp is shutting down for a week, except for the slaves in the kitchen..."

* * *

_**Hold up. I want to see what's going on here.**_

_Sure. No reason not to, Alex._

* * *

"December 24, 1984. The entire camp is shutting down for a week, except for the slaves in the kitchen. The men set up the Christmas tree next to the flagpole only yesterday, and already there are hundreds of wrapped presents hastily pushed under the low-hanging branches. I watched the soldiers who volunteered to set up the lights struggle and struggle to place them successfully... until someone proposed using the helicopters like last year. I have to remember to deduct the fuel costs from their paycheck...

"But enough about the festivities. I plan on stargazing tonight. It is one of few activities I can do in solitude. And because we are in Area 51 and therefore a fairly flat location, I have to drive into the mountains away from the camp to isolate myself from the light pollution from the inevitable drunken parties in camp. If I shot a tracer round through the window of the mess hall, the whole camp would be ablaze in burning booze vapors.

"The virus really has uses besides infecting and killing things. I can go stargazing at odd hours in the morning, or at least until dawn breaks. I only become tired when Mother forces me to do something and I resist. But besides that, there are few times I ever need to rest, even when I push myself through the same exercises as the soldiers.

"But most of the time I'm alone. During the Christmas season Mother stays far away from camp, lest her identity be discovered. And so Christmas is the best time for me to plot my escape. I must say that it becomes harder and harder to keep these plans hidden. Eventually I will not be able to find the plans I need, and so I will have to create a way of organization that will allow me to find what I need quickly. The computers here seem powerful enough to store some data for me, but I am still unsure whether I can trust their anonymity. Mother has a way of accessing things she shouldn't be able to access, and despite being tucked away in a side room, she has gotten into the mainframes before and disconnected quite a few.

"I wish I could plan more often, but it seems that for now, this will be my last entry of the such for the year. My chances come so infrequently."

* * *

_**Interesting...**_

_I have to agree, Mercer. This is all very interesting. The Director seems to be obliged to obey Greene's orders... so he has to keep his plans secret. I've been around Blackwatch for a while, and I haven't heard of anything happening in the higher ranks._

_**Christmas is just around the corner. Wanna pay the Director a visit?**_

_I think it would be easier to catch the Director on a stargazing trip. He is further away from Greene in those cases, and she will not realize that we are making our move._

_**Then I need to sneak out at night. That isn't much of a problem, Hunter.**_

_The Director sleeps in his office from what I've figured out, Mercer._

_**Could you sneak one of your... whatever they're called, into the Director's office, Cross?**_

___I probably could. You need me to keep an eye on him?_

_**Yes. But don't try to mind control the Director. The last thing we need is for him to suddenly change his habits and make things suspicious. Who knows where Greene could be?**_

* * *

I decided to read further into the Director's diary, but I got tired of reading the Director's rather whiny entries and eventually headed to sleep.

* * *

A few days passed, and Christmas got closer and closer. I kept an eye out for the Director as I helped out setting up the tree. After a few times around the tree, I finally saw him: a figure leaning against the railing of the balcony on the second floor cafe for officers.

_**Anyone with him?**_

_Nope, he's a loner. Go get 'em, Alex._

I had a note prepared for such an occasion. I made sure he was alone when I went up to the cafe, and then took a spot directly next to him. I decided to wait until he spoke.

* * *

"Christmas decorations look better than last year."

"Yeah." I quickly referred to some stolen memories and found that last year's Christmas decorations hadn't ended well. One of the helicopters clipped the tree on its way to place the garlands, and coupled with the tree's already bad condition, the Christmas tree last year was mostly devoid of needles. "Yeah, nothing major's happened yet."

"You don't come up here very often. I saw you helping out down there."

"Well... I don't have much to do. Figured I could pitch in and do something useful instead of playing with office toys for a few hours. But it's a lot more tiring than I thought. Well... expecting anything for Christmas?"

"A lot of things, actually. But none of it is good news."

"Paperwork? I have a lot as well."

"Drunken parties. It isn't fun when you have to drag the troublemakers out of the party that inevitably ends in a drunken brawl."

"Sounds terrible. I think I'll just sleep in like a good boy."

"I plan on going stargazing on Christmas Eve."

"Actually, that sounds better than going to sleep early... Mind if I tag along?"

"Sure. You can find me at... uh... next to the vending machines beside Building D at around ten o'clock on the 24th. The parties will be going on until about 3 or 4 in the morning, so we won't be missed."

"Actually, I don't know my stars all that well." I was lying, but stolen acting lessons made up for that.

"Okay... I'll bring my star charts, then."

* * *

Christmas Eve came, and I arrived at the vending machines to find the Director moving some boxes into a pickup truck.

"Ah, you're here. About time to go."

"I noticed the parties. Drunken, indeed."

"You see what I mean? I don't want to be around when the brawling starts. The soldiers always lose their heads so easily when they get insulted by someone else... not to mention when they're drunk."

"Sounds great, but we should go. I don't want to give up a night of sleep to discuss bar fights."

"Funny. I have to agree. Get in the truck. I know a great place to set up."

* * *

The road was very bumpy, and the Director wasn't exactly the safest driver around. But we got to the place easily enough. We set up the telescope and a small table with a small red light so I could consult the star charts.

I decided it was best to wait an hour or so before revealing myself. I needed the Director to be off-guard, and the moment came soon enough.

The Director was looking for Taurus so he could show me the Pleiades. He was taking an abnormally long time to adjust his telescope, and I took that time to quickly transform back into Alex Mercer.

"Director."

He looked up and looked at me. "So you came. You were hiding the entire time? I'm impressed."

"I want to kill Greene. Get this whole thing finished once and for all, Director. You're the key."

"You know I'm PARIAH, then?"

"Your father told me."

"My father?"

"Did Greene never tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"The decoy she put of herself in Manhattan was actually your father."

"What?"

"And... you know the rest. Your father was separated from the decoy, and then I killed and consumed the decoy."

"I noticed someone hacked into my files."

"That would be Nathan, through me."

"And I noticed that little black ball in the corner of my office."

"That would be Cross, through me."

"Are you going to kill me?"

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Probably. If you go quietly, I'll make it quick and as painless as I can make it go."

[/20]

A/N: Still trying to break writer's block... *sigh*


	21. Oblivion Ocean

A/N: All of the Author's Notes for today's release of 4 chapters were all written a few weeks ago. As such, they don't reflect my current state of mind.

And now... the Christmas release! Chapters 21-24, here we come.

* * *

A/N: Still trying. Yeah, writer's block is being a little more persistent this time for some reason.

[21]

The moment I got close to him, the Director moved out of the way. I tried and tried, but it was clear something had overcome him. Fear of death? Or was it Greene's control, again?

"Hey, PARIAH, I thought you wanted to be free of your mother!"

"I do!"

"Then what the fuck are you doing?"

"She's controlling me again!"

"... Get over here!" I switched my right arm into a Whipfist and threw it out to latch onto the Director. It never connected. The Director was a lot faster than I could hope to be, and all I had left was the truck.

An old, rickety truck plus two crazy superhuman freaks plus off-road conditions meant something was bound to go wrong.

Did I drive the truck? No. Did I throw the truck? Not entirely. What I did do, though, was rip the tailgate off and bend it into a very sharp blade. And then I bulked up my arms and threw it as hard as I could.

It stuck, point down, into the ground after passing through the Director's torso. I started running and readying my blade-arm.

I watched as the Director ripped the tailgate-turned-javelin out of his stomach and threw it at me. Instinctively I formed my shield and felt it bounce off, but when I drew my shield away from my body, the Director was gone.

And then I felt blood flowing down my side. The Director was next to me, slashing away at my unprotected right side with a large amount of vicious tendrils.

I jabbed my elbow blade into his face, and then flung the Director into the air, where I would keep him until I could consume him.

It was a bit harder than I thought it would be at first. I could tell the Director was trying to resist Greene's control, but at least for now, he could not control himself.

And then came the surprising turn of events. The Director ripped the gas tank out from the truck and doused himself in diesel.

"Light me on fire, Doctor!"

I didn't have any matches, and I didn't have time to rip out the starter motor and battery from the truck.

_**Think, Alex. What would Cross do?**_

_I would throw a rock at you, Mercer._

_**Okay, fine. What would Nathan do?**_

_I would crack a joke about "import matches"._

_**No, no Python jokes. What would the Hunter do?**_

_I would say "Fuck you, honey" to get Greene's attention._

_**Good idea.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Hunter says, 'Fuck you, honey!'"

The Director stopped, but only after he had gracefully faceplanted into the hard Nevada desert. I took the chance to draw my blade-arm and launch myself into the air. While the Director was getting up, I brought my arm down over his back, slamming him back into the ground. I set my tendrils to work immediately.

I jammed my tendrils into the Director, sucking biomass away to make him weak so Greene could not use the Director's strength against me any further.

"Just finish me off, Doctor. Greene will try to save herself and let me go right before you kill me."

"And what happens if she doesn't?"

"You'll have enough power to command Blackwatch on your own."

"That's your job."

"No. Once you kill me, it's yours. Greene won't be able to control you, and she only controls the soldiers through me. You can bring Blackwatch's power against her."

* * *

I thought about it for a moment. If I killed the Director, I could actually use Blackwatch to catch Greene and take her down?

_Believe the Director this time, Mercer. I definitely felt Greene's power slightly diluted by something when I was being controlled, and I've got a sneaking feeling it was the Director._

_**Great. I'm going to have one more person in my head talking back to me.**_

_**...Wait a minute. I can't reveal my face to Blackwatch. How do I justify all of this?

* * *

**_

"I can't show my face to Blackwatch, Director. How would I command Blackwatch?"

"The same way I've commanded Blackwatch for 34 years."

"Which is...?"

"Do everything in writing. Or e-mail."

"That easy?"

"Yes, Doctor. Now kill me and get it over with. I want to see Greene dead, and you standing over me and not killing me isn't speeding things up."

I dug my tendrils in a bit further. "Promise to help me out once I've consumed you?"

"Promise."

* * *

And then I ended his life and consumed the still-warm corpse.

_**Ya there, Director?**_

_Here, Doctor._

_Hey there, son._

_Dad?_

_**Leave the teary reunion for another time, you two.**_

_Agreed. Mercer's right, we should get going on Greene's trail._

_**Director, you know where she is?**_

_She's in Canada, if I'm not mistaken._

_**...Great. Where in Canada? It's the second largest country in the world.**_

_She's probably on the run. Luckily she can't kill people and get away with it like I can._

_**Oh, almost forgot... You know what your ability is, Director?**_

_Ability?_

_**Cross can mind control people, the Hunter can modify people's memories, Nathan has a knack for systems... What can you do?**_

_...Uh, I remember I brought this person back to life once. But he was infected after I resurrected him._

_**So you can bring people back to life?**_

_Once I've consumed them._

_**That means I can bring you guys back to life.**_

_Wait, what? Alex, are you kidding?_

_**From the looks of it, it's probably possible to do it. But where is Greene?**_

_She was last in the Yukon Territory, Doctor._

_**Are you comfortable, Director?**_

_I will be, once we're all out of this mess. And I'd rather you call me PARIAH. Makes me feel less formal._

_**And when tomorrow rolls around...there'll be plenty of soldiers with hangovers to deal with. Or can I just leave them be?**_

_I wouldn't trust them on their own, Doctor... but if that's what needs to be done, that's what needs to be done. I don't think you should take a transport, so do you have anything else to get around on?_

_**There's the motorcycle that I took with me from Hope.**_

_Eh... Alex, you left it in Phoenix. In storage. And you put the key somewhere. I don't think I was paying attention when you put it away._

_**Well, then... that means it's probably in the office with the other twenty million keys. Please tell me you can look into my memories and figure out which one it is, Hunter...**_

_I'll look through your memories when you're not driving. Don't want to risk crashing now, do we?_

_**Right. Now, let's get started, shall we?

* * *

**_

It was a few days before things quieted down again at Area 51 enough for me to leave.

If I wanted to use PARIAH's ability to bring Nathan and Cross and the Hunter back into real life, I would need a lot of biomass. New York City was probably the easiest place for me to get biomass from, so I started the trek to Phoenix to pick up the motorcycle.

* * *

It took a day to reach Phoenix, even at a full sprint. I decided not to take the highways, as I have an unfortunate tendency to leave potholes where I step. Crossing the canyon systems of the Colorado was an interesting challenge, but not too difficult.

There was an unexpected obstacle when I reached Phoenix. Apparently the storage place I had rented out a space at was part of a police investigation, so I couldn't get what I needed. Yet at the same time, I wasn't comfortable with killing a police officer so I could get the motorcycle out.

I was faced with a few choices: take out the military ID I still had with me and force my way in, wait out the investigation and risk too much time, or continue on without the bike and the useful anti-Blacklight bullets the rifle inside carried.  
I decided to wait. I could return to Area 51 and have more anti-Blacklight rounds made, but I expected the police investigation to move out of the way soon enough.

The police investigation stayed there for a month. An entire month. I forced myself to resist the urge to consume civilians left and right and decided against asking Cross to use his mind control to help me retrieve the motorcycle.

* * *

I decided to return to Area 51 after another week and signed off a transport for myself. I gave myself the job of moving the machine I had shipped out to Blackwatch's secondary base in Maryland back to Area 51.

The machine was fixed by the time I arrived, and a few soldiers helped me lift the machine into the back of the transport. Some of the soldiers crowded into the back and hooked themselves up to the machine with the needles on the outside.

One, after a while, disconnected it and asked where the blood supplier was.  
__

_**PARIAH, what is this guy talking about?**_

_Usually I'm the one who shows up and transfers some blood to these guys, but if you want to do it, go ahead._  
__

_**What does this do?**_

_It's used to strengthen my link with each individual soldier. Like a brain and all of its limbs._  
__

_**So it gives you better control over the soldiers?**_

_Yeah. But it's all yours now._  
__

_**Okay, great. That means I get to donate a massive amount of blood.

* * *

**_

"I'm the blood supplier."

The soldiers was a bit surprised, but then motioned to me to follow him into the back of the transport. He waved me into the inside of the machine.

PARIAH took over for me and hooked me up to the machine. As the machine started to draw blood, I leaned back and felt another prick on the back of my neck.

There was no needle there. The feeling came from the soldier who had asked me earlier when he jabbed his needle into the back of his neck.  
__

_**So this just links every Blackwatch soldier to you?**_

_Ordinarily, yes. You felt that slight prick, right?_

Just then, I suddenly saw through the eyes of each soldier connected to the machine.  
__

_**This is going to be fun, I can tell already.**_

_I'll try and keep it from overwhelming you, Doctor, but you'll need to do this with every single soldier in Blackwatch. Once you've done that, they'll do anything you want them to do. Just don't abuse it, please. It took me years to establish it as a __convenient way of handling Blackwatch, and it wouldn't do well to break it now._

I decided to explain to the soldiers connected to the machine the whole story. It conveniently took time up until the blood transfusion was finished.

* * *

As the soldiers disconnected from the machine, a few looked inside at me. I reverted to my familiar form and looked back at them.

Eventually, one soldier spoke up.

"So you really are Alex Mercer?"

I let out a noncommittal grunt.

"MOTHER's been alive this whole time? You didn't klll her in Times Square?"

"I killed a decoy. PARIAH's been under her control up till about a month ago, so technically Blackwatch has been under her control this entire time. She forced me to kill three of my allies and PARIAH."

"And now you want to kill her for real. Not a decoy this time."

"I need Blackwatch's help, though."

"You have me whenever you need me, Director."

"I'd prefer not to think of myself that way."

"ZEUS?"

"Just Alex is fine."

"Alex. Do you need anything?"

"A solution to this mess."

[/21]

A/N: This is seriously turning into a circus of random quotes that's getting way out of hand. Someone, please give me a bonk over the head or something. Or leave a review insulting my inability to write something coherent and structured. That should get me working again.

* * *

Post-release A/N: Yes, disposable voiced soldier. No, he's temporary. Yes, it gets better. No, Alex doesn't run things from Nevada.


	22. The Perfect Element

Post-Release A/N: Again, keep in mind the Author's Notes were written a while ago.

A/N: No, that soldier from last chapter is not a character I'll develop on. He's disposable.

[22]

After I returned to Area 51, PARIAH explained to me further that the blood transfusion machine facilitated the creation of a Hive Mind. By using my own blood, the soldiers were being moved from the Hive Mind previously headed by PARIAH into a Hive Mind that I was leading myself.

I tried reaching out to the soldiers that had accepted my blood in Maryland over the Hive Mind I was already familiar with. I was able to sense their thoughts, even thousands of miles away. I could almost taste the food they were eating.

_That's a lot more detail than I was ever able to manage, Doctor._  
__

_**This wouldn't be my ability, would it?**_

_Who knows? You always seemed like a team builder, Alex._  
__

_**Whatever.**_

_Seriously, Mercer, look at it this way. You brought the five of us together, pretty much effortlessly, and we're actually still working together after a span of five months. Don't tell me that doesn't scream "team builder slash manager slash organizer" to you._

The soldiers felt that I was listening in to their conversation and paused to say that they preferred a bit of privacy. I replied with a comment about how I needed to know every soldier well, beyond the reports in the files.

We started to have a lively conversation, over the Hive Mind, about how we could best understand the relationship between Director and soldier, and I decided that the easiest way to show them my perspective was to draw their consciousness over the Hive Mind into my mind.

And I did exactly that.

For a moment, my brain was filled with quiet chatter about how I had so many people contained within me, but then they all quieted down and listened as I brought bits of stolen knowledge from the deepest recesses of my memory.

And then I let PARIAH and the Hunter and Cross and Nathan speak up. The soldiers started a loud conversation in my head when they realized that these were people I had slain in order to reach my goals.

After a few minutes, I pushed the soldiers back to Maryland and promised them I would bring more people into the Hive Mind soon.

I brought all of the soldiers in Area 51 together and put them through the blood transfusion machine, linking them into my Hive Mind and moving them away from PARIAH's potentially compromised one.

A few hundred minds suddenly connected with mine, and I drew the soldiers in Maryland close. After giving them instructions to show the newcomers their memories of joining the Hive Mind, they went ahead and started to show the entire camp who I was.

I felt that a few of the soldiers were uneasy while they received my blood, but once it was all finished, I opened myself to the Hive Mind I now led.

I realized with a start, though, that the reason Greene's Hive Mind in New York was so simple to defeat was because she allowed so little free will and thought among her subjects. I made a mental note that free will and thought was necessary to create a powerful, essentially invincible Hive Mind. I had to be open to ideas from the soldiers, but I had to know when to make decisive action, as well.  
__

_**Any ideas on how I can do that?**_

_Let the soldiers be who they are, Alex. They're capable of making critical decisions for themselves, so you don't need to worry about them too much. You should be more of a guiding hand rather than how Greene controlled Blackwatch. You can't be aware of everything they feel all at once, so you need to trust their judgment._

_They'll manage themselves, Mercer, but you need to show that you care, as well. And the soldiers like to have fun, believe me. Make a contest or something out of all of it on occasion, and that should keep everyone happy, even if it doesn't get anything done. It breaks the monotony of doing drills and stuff like that all the time. And the virus should keep everyone loyal to you, as long as Greene doesn't have a copy of the transfusion machine._

_Well, ZEUS, I think you will find that as long as you do not bother the soldiers too much, they should keep to themselves enough so that they will not bother you too much. That being said, you do need to keep an ear open to the Hive Mind, and you also need to periodically snoop in on things. Just let the soldiers know you are doing it before you do it._  
__

_**PARIAH? Any ideas?**_

_I think you're going to be a better person to do this than I ever was._  
__

_**Encouraging.**_

_Seriously. Doctor, you've already established a personal bond with pretty much everyone that you need a personal bond with, and it's all open for anyone else to examine, as well. No one can say that you're hiding something from them now._

"Alright, everyone. I need your attention. Greene is still out there, and definitely on the loose. Given her tendencies, I think she'll try to reestablish herself somewhere, or otherwise she'll take control of the Infected in New York and maybe try to spread a virus that converts everyone into her slaves and not just certain people. Any ideas on how we tackle this?"

"Link the people in New York to the Hive Mind, Alex."

"Send us out and we'll watch for her."

"Give us a frickin' vacation! We've been working for years without one!"

I gave a sign for everyone to shut up.

"I also want to get PARIAH, the Hunter, Cross, and Nathan out of my head and back in action. I'm not asking for your biomass or anything, but I do need to get it from somewhere. Suggestions?"

"New York! We're going there anyways!"

"Let's raid Canada!"

"Disneyland, man! Party in my room!"

I sent a mental rebuke to the soldier who came up with the vacation idea and put the other ideas up for a vote.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Take a vote, people."  
__

_**Let's see how good your ideas were.**_

_It'll work, Alex. They're all soldiers. They need to make life-or-death decisions every time they step on the battlefield, and now that they're all technically infected, they'll have no fear about getting out there and going toe-to-toe with Leader Hunters._

_I still think you should reward whoever comes up with the idea that wins._

_You still need to care a bit more about them, ZEUS. You should make a decision for yourself about what you want to do yourself._

_You need to make these connections really personal, Alex. I mean... barge into the soldiers' barracks and sit down next to someone and make them feel good. Even giving them a bit of your biomass would probably go a long way to making yourself a popular leader._  
__

_**But I can't go doing that for every single soldier in camp.**_

_Not right now, but you can, once you consume enough Hunters and Leader Hunters._  
__

_**Right. Are you proposing I move everyone in Blackwatch to New York?**_

_No, I'm proposing you set up a Hive-like structure in Area 51 that just grows biomass to help soldiers recharge after __battle. Or at least something like that at Battery Park so that injured soldiers can heal. You need to bring that transfusion machine to Manhattan, though._

"Okay, the vote for what to do for the next few weeks: New York, 124. Spread out, 110. Vacation, 1. Looks like we're going to New York. And now for how to get some annoying people out of my head. New York, 201. Canada, 34. Disneyland, 1. New York wins again. Pack up and let's go. Dismissed."

The soldiers and officers filed out of the mess hall with the majority smiling and talking about the way I was running Blackwatch.

I took a few soldiers aside to ask for their comments on how well I was doing so far, as per PARIAH's advice.

"You're doing a good job, Alex. I think everyone's pretty happy that they're finally getting a say in what they do. I'm just worried that you'll stop being like this in the future."

"This is totally different from before. I don't think that it's a bad thing to ask what we want to do, but I'm afraid that the soldiers will do what's easiest, not what's right."

"Something tells me this will all change soon, Alex. I've got a feeling that the moment Greene is found, you're going to put all of us to work on making sure she doesn't escape, without asking us."

"I want a fucking vacation! Godfuckingdammit, give me a fucking vacation!"

Something tells me that not everyone is entirely happy that I'm running Blackwatch now. Everyone seemed to understand that I wanted revenge on Greene after what she forced me to do, but not everyone agreed that I should take PARIAH's position.

But everyone definitely agreed that I was better an ally than an enemy, especially now that I revealed Greene was still alive and on the loose. And everyone also agreed that I handled the Hive Mind far better than PARIAH had.

I felt mixed feelings throughout the Hive Mind when I put the issue to the soldiers. The majority were happy that they were finally going to finish off the New York problem, but a few were unhappy that Blackwatch was going to lose the temporary power it held after it was all over.

I decided to head to New York ahead of the rest of Blackwatch and brought the transfusion machine with me.

But I couldn't place it in Battery Park, for fear that someone would tamper with it, or worse yet, Greene might steal it and use it for her own gain.

I decided to wait until the rest of Blackwatch was mobilized and prepared, then swapped the New York group with the troops waiting in Maryland.

I showed up to Fort Detrick and gave them the go-ahead, then waited for the New York group to arrive. I had the transfusions prepared, and once it was done, I could head to New York and acquire some extra biomass to bring the four in my head back into action.

With the transfusions completed, I headed to Manhattan. I piloted one of the helicopters headed inbound carrying about thirty or forty troops, but when I got in sight of Manhattan, I was surprised at what it looked like.

The entire city was covered in the infection. The last area still unclaimed by blood-red vines was Battery Park. I thought of the final solution Randall had almost used months before and considered it a possibility. There were few civilians left in Manhattan, if any were to be found beyond the boundaries of Battery Park.

From the looks of it, the few Marines left in Manhattan seemed fully prepared to join Blackwatch when it was all over. A few still wore parts of tattered Marine uniforms, but the majority of their uniforms were now salvaged from used and spare Blackwatch uniforms.

I landed the chopper and turned off the engines. Apparently there was an attack in progress, so I quickly got out, formed my blade-arm and armor, and charged past the firing line.

Things didn't look good. There were already dozens of Blackwatch soldiers dying close to the line of infected, and the soldiers still firing couldn't get close enough to rescue the injured. I withdrew my blade-arm and instead reverted my arms to normal, though I remained in my armor.

I decided if I was going to listen to the Hunter's advice anytime, it was now. I started sprinting and scooped up at least five soldiers and transferred some precious biomass to them to help them heal while I moved back quickly behind the Blackwatch lines, where there were some medics already waiting. A few nodded at me as I placed the injured down on the blankets for treatment.

I probably continued doing this for another half hour before there were few enough casualties on the field that I was comfortable going on the offensive.

The Hunters and Leaders were as ugly and undeveloped as they had been months ago, and they were as easy to kill as they had been before I left Manhattan. I started gathering biomass to bring the voices in my head back to life, but I found the infected were coming too quickly for me to even pause. I let loose a Critical Pain to clear out the street of infected, but I found I was back where I started afterwards.

I needed a solution that worked, and I doubted the soldiers were willing to give their lives in this way.

_Steal a Hive then, Alex. It'll be hard getting in and even harder taking control of one, but once you do, you can station some soldiers in it. You can make it so they can hook themselves up to it and heal a bit if they get injured or something._

_**That's a good idea. But I have a feeling I should notify the soldiers about what I'm going to try.**_

I let the soldiers know over the Hive Mind about my plan, and a good majority of them agreed it was worth a try.

From the information in several dispatches originating from Red Hook, I knew that the infected presence on Brooklyn was minimal and that the soldiers stationed there had everything under control. I looked through the eyes of the soldiers stationed there and saw it was true. I was a bit relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about Brooklyn until after Manhattan was finished.

I led a small group of volunteers from the main group of soldiers deep into the first easily accessible staging point for Blackwatch to retake the island from: Madison Square Garden. From aerial photos, the Garden was apparently covered in the characteristic Hunter-containing sacs that marked a Hive distinct from other infected buildings.

"First priority is to find a way into the Garden. We might not want to take an aboveground entrance, but I doubt the infected are going to let us just waltz in through the subways. Whatever way we get in, we don't separate as a group. Got it? If you get lost or separated, send a radio signal and a message over the Hive Mind immediately. Don't yell out loud for help, though.

"The target once we get inside is to find the core of the Hive. There has to be something controlling the whole thing, and I need to take control of it to convert it into a friendly location. Ready, men?"

"Yes, sir!"

The whole situation was quite interesting. Just a few months ago, I would have been attacked the moment I was recognized, but now the Blackwatch soldiers seemed perfectly willing to fight under my orders instead. Greene was apparently a greater threat than I was, and I was indispensable if Greene was to be defeated.

When we got to the Garden, there was the typical rabble of Hunters and Walkers outside. They weren't very well organized, and for a few minutes the men who came with me watched as several Hunters fought over the gutted corpse of a Walker. I reminded the soldiers that we were here to take back the Garden, not to watch the infected cannibalize each other.

After using a few charges, we were in. The inside of the Garden was surprisingly clean, with every possible surface uniformly covered in a flat layer of infected biomass. I was tempted to stab a few tendrils into the

walls and draw some biomass, but I resisted the urge to do so. I would be inviting the wrath of a few Leaders and their Hunter subordinates if I did take some.

We pushed forwards without any resistance from the infected. It was a bit unusual that we didn't face any Hunters or Walkers inside, but we eventually found the core of the Hive, located in the middle of the stadium.

I motioned for everyone to get close.

"I need a volunteer that's willing to stay here and control the Hive." A few soldiers nodded.

"Whoever takes the job probably won't be leaving here until the infection is completely under Blackwatch control." The few nodding soldiers stopped nodding.

"You'll be in control of the Hive and all of the Hives subordinate to this one. I'm asking for a volunteer, but if no one's going to take the job, then I'll have to take control of it myself."

"Why don't you do that, sir?"

"We need the Garden as a staging point to get further into Manhattan. And we need the biomass in this place to help heal you guys when you get injured out there."

One soldier stepped forward. "I'll do it, Alex."

"Good."

I summoned as much of my biomass as I could and drove as many tendrils as I could form into the Hive core. I immediately branched my tendrils apart and spread them throughout the core. I decided to consume the core and then transfer the duty of maintaining the Hive to the volunteer.

"Come over here, soldier."

He stepped into the area I was pointing to and closed his eyes.

"Ready?"

"Ready, sir."

The soldier screamed as my tendrils drove into his body and started pumping biomass into him. Gradually I moved control over the Hive to the soldier, who was bearing with the pain surprising well.

"Done, soldier. I need you to collect all of the biomass under your command and make the Garden into a forward base, medical facilities, barracks and everything. If you want, you can disconnect yourself from that spot, you know."

"Got it, sir. I'll try."

A few minutes later there were hundreds of infected streaming through the doors and surrendering to the soldier controlling the Hive. He was methodically using tendrils erupting all over the floor to consume each infected without leaving a corpse behind.

"You're better at this than I thought, soldier."  
"It feels really natural. I don't know how I'm doing it, but I'm doing it somehow."

"Well, try to reach out to the surrounding buildings and draw their biomass in here, as well. You should be able to reach pretty far with the amount of biomass at your disposal. We'll also need to convert the Garden into a staging point so we can take back more of Manhattan. That's your job until this whole Manhattan business is finished."

"Yes, sir! I actually don't know how to separate myself from this." The soldier, already enveloped in the biomass he was controlling, pointed at the root-like structure keeping him from walking around.

"Just tell the Hive that you want to walk around a little. I don't know what the solution will be, so I can't say how it'll work. On a side note, I need to ask you a favor. If you have any biomass left over, I need it so I can bring some people back to life."

"Sure thing, sir."

"And as far as things go, you're now one of the most important people in Blackwatch. Call me Alex."

"Alright... Alex."

[/22]

A/N: Yes, I was on vacation when I wrote this. I was also doing homework... ON VACATION. Give me a frickin' vacation, teachers! It's my frickin' one-week Thanksgiving break! I want to relax and have some turkey!

Find and replace saved my life. Again.

Post-Release A/N: Yes, this chapter was written over Thanksgiving break. It WAS a long time ago.


	23. Iter Impius

A/N: Begun during vacation to Utah. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... "What the hell is there in Utah?"

Frankly, I don't know either. But I just spent three days in the middle of nowhere writing this story and looking at sandstone canyons. Yeah, great/interesting/OMG WOW/"I'm so excited I could cry." [/sarcasm]

[23]

I signaled that the Garden was a success. Within the hour, Madison Square Garden was packed with a thousand Blackwatch soldiers, all comfortably accommodated by the soldier controlling it all at the core.

A few soldiers decided to staff the food court until rations could arrive, and a few others decided to take up janitorial work to keep the Garden clean during our stay.

* * *

_**You guys ready to get back in action? **_

_Sure. Been a while since I stretched these old bones, Mercer._

_Holding a gun is something I haven't done for almost three months, Alex. I think I'm going into withdrawal..._

_I would love to have a rematch, ZEUS. But that can wait until after Greene is dead._

_Can I have my job back?

* * *

_

I lingered for another hour, asking soldiers throughout the Garden for their comments on what to do now. The most prevalent remark I got was "Where are we going now?"

I decided that the best path to go for now was to corner the infected on one end of Manhattan. I wasn't ready to risk sandwiching the infected and the accidental friendly fire that was inevitable if I ordered a push from the Bronx.

* * *

A tap on my shoulder brought me back from the realm of deep thought. I looked up and saw the soldier controlling the Hive.

"I'm done. You want the extra biomass?"

"I'll take thirty percent of it or so. You should keep some just in case something happens."

The soldier offered his hand. I took it and let him attach tendrils erupting from the ground into my arm. I felt the biomass flowing into my body and giving me the strength I would need to bring everyone back.

* * *

_**So what do you guys think? Good job so far?**_

_Success is something everyone likes to see, Mercer. You need to keep it up. But good job anyways._

_Ditto. You're doing great, Alex._

_**Get ready then. I'm going to try PARIAH's ability. Ready?**_

_I'm ready when you are, Doctor. Who's going first?_

_**Cross, you're up first.

* * *

**_

The soldier was still funneling his biomass to me when I started the process. He was a bit surprised to see one of my own tendrils snaking out and forming a blob on the ground.

"What are you doing, Alex?"

"Trying to bring someone back to life."

I gathered Cross together and pushed him into the biomass I was donating.

After I had given the amount I was sure Cross had when I killed him, I withdrew my tendril from the now Cross-shaped form lying on the ground. Cross inhaled sharply and sat up.

"Feeling okay, Cross?"

"Been better, Mercer. I feel alright, just a bit dizzy."

"Worked okay?"

"I can remember pretty much everything I need to remember."

"Okay, that's good. Can you hear me over the Hive Mind?"

_I can, Mercer._

_**Good. Go introduce yourself to the soldiers or something. I'm going to be bringing Nathan back to life.

* * *

**_

I repeated the procedure twice more, and Nathan and the Hunter were back in action. They both complained of the same dizziness, but they were both connected to my Hive Mind. Before long, they decided to reintroduce themselves to the rest of Blackwatch over the Hive Mind.

It was just me and PARIAH now.

_**Okay... just you and me. Can you do it to yourself?**_

_I'm not sure. It's fairly easy, though._

_**That's good. Show me how.

* * *

**_

After another three minutes, PARIAH was standing in front of me and brushing the dust off of his business suit.

"Thank you, Doctor, for everything. I definitely owe you one for freeing me from Greene."

"Do you even think of her as your mother?"

"No. I'm the embodiment of a virus. You are too. Greene is the embodiment of a virus, as well."

"We're all the same?"

"No. you and I aren't outdated yet. She is. She needs to go. Her ability to mutate the virus is useful, but I fear that if that ability escapes Blackwatch's reach, Blackwatch will have a lot more to deal with than just us."

"I have to agree. Would you mind who consumes her?"

"No, but I would rather not have her within me."

"Want to force it on Cross?"

"Does he even have control enough to resist her? I think we're the only two that can take her and stay sane."

"Well, let's leave it at that for now. Go introduce yourself or something. That'll help you integrate with the rest of the soldiers."

"Wait, I'm a regular soldier now?"

"No... but you should get to know them in person, anyways. They don't know you very well."

* * *

I decided to take a walk outside. I took a bit of biomass from the stores and headed out to survey the city so I could decide better what to do.

I landed on the roof of the safe house. I reached deep inside the air conditioner to retrieve the key I had hidden months before. It was still there. I unlocked the door and headed inside.

The whole building was covered in infected biomass, but the inside was entirely devoid of any infection... until I noticed Elizabeth Greene sitting at Dana's desk, smiling at me.

[/23]

A/N: Hooray, short chapter!


	24. Thorn in My Side

A/N: Mmhmm, Greene hates breakfast cereal.

[24]

One memory sprang to mind: "You... hurt me."

* * *

I didn't have the Hunter with me to hurt her with, so I had to improvise. I was very lucky. I had consumed a few of my lab coats during my time in the GENTEK labs, and I always carried a few syringes in each of my lab coats. I just needed something that I could use to overpower her.

I remembered that I had a single vial of the cure left in one of my lab coats. I just had to remember which one and I could retrieve it...

* * *

Greene pounced. I was still busy trying to remember which coat I left the cure in when she hit me.

_**Cross! Nathan! Anyone! Help! I'm at the safe house!**_

"They can't help you now, my son."

"Get the fuck off me!" I formed my armor and added spikes to the outside in order to keep Greene off me.

Something was a bit different with this Greene. She was using her full mass against me, rather than the decoy I had faced in Times Square.

The entire building moved and shook. I jumped as hard as I could, bursting a hole through the ceiling and into the blood-red dawn sky of Manhattan. The safe house wasn't very safe anymore.

* * *

I fled back to the Garden, where I quickly realized that the soldiers who had arrived at the Garden the night before were all turning into Hunters.

I ran and ran until I was in Battery Park. The collective roar of hundreds of Hunters greeted me. I continued to run.

GENTEK was the last place I had left. I could spend time down in the labs until I found a cure to Greene's mutated virus.

_**You guys there?  
**_A reply came in a thousand voices at once: _Yes._

_**What happened?**_

_Greene took control of our bodies, Alex. I turned into a Hunter before I noticed it happening, and before long I saw everyone else had turned into one as well._

_**Who's the snitch? Does anyone know?**_

_Mercer, none of us know. All we know is we can't be there for you when you fight Greene. Do your best, alright?_

_**Cross...**_

_ZEUS... Greene does have one weakness that I can remember. She hates Shredded Wheat, original flavor._

_**You're proposing I use cereal as a weapon?**_

_It's worth a shot, Doctor. There's a grocery store on 84th that has a delivery truck parked next to it with cereal. I bet you'll find a few hundred boxes of the stuff inside that truck._

_**You're kidding me.**_

_Please don't nuke us, Alex._

_**...Alright, I promise. I won't nuke you guys. But I'll try to make it rain whole grains.

* * *

**_

I had a task now: find as much Shredded Wheat as I could. If I knew Greene well enough, it would deter the soldiers-turned-Hunters from interrupting me when I fought Greene. Once I consumed Greene, I could return everyone to their normal forms, at least hopefully.

Just as PARIAH reported, there was a truck filled with breakfast cereal in front of a grocery store on 84th. I quickly cut away the vines holding it down and drove it to GENTEK.

There were a few Hunters lurking around the area, but they gave me a nod and continued with their business. They were definitely Blackwatch soldiers who were still sympathetic with me. As long as Greene didn't realize I was here, they would be able to control themselves.

I rode the elevators down to the maximum security labs and started up the emergency generators. Within a few minutes, I was ready to start working on an anti-Greene drug.

I knew Greene's Blacklight was still dependent on reverse transcriptase, so I targeted that in particular. I had given the soldiers my own virus, which would protect them while the drug cleaned out all traces of Greene's virus.

I brought up the cure I had made months before and modified it to target only Greene's reverse transcriptase gene. I remembered all the modifications I had made to Blacklight in the lab before infecting myself with it: moving the virus into Group II from Group VI, redesigning the protein structures slightly, and modifying the outer protein coat into the trilobite shape I had recorded in my video logs.

I had a few structures I could attack: the genes that Greene likely never modified, the reverse transcriptase that allowed the virus to take control of a cell, and the interconnections between cells.

I opted to target Greene's unmodified genes.

I wasn't sure of how many days had passed since I first entered the lab, but it took the computers at least a week total after I submitted the data to create the solution and its matching DNA.

I turned on the machines and decided that I was going to make a spiracle-shaped virus containing just what I needed: the DNA that would make a protein that destroys viral RNA and its DNA derivatives.

* * *

I could only hope that it would work as well as I planned it to.

* * *

My first test subject was one of the Hunters lurking outside. I pulled a vial of my cure and jabbed it between the shoulder blades of the Hunter while I attached my tendrils to its body.

The Hunter gave a roar of pain before leaning back and allowing me to consume its excess biomass.

As his excess biomass melted off, a Blackwatch soldier stood up, covered in infected blood. He let my tendrils clean him off before he gave me a hug.

"Thank you, sir."

I led him down to the labs and offered him a spare uniform and several vials of the cure.

"If you feel like Greene is taking control back, drink one of these. Otherwise, I need you to keep these machines running. Add solution when it runs low. I've color-coded the caps so that it's hard to mess up."

"Yes, sir. These machines are making your cure, right?"

"Yes. I need enough to cure all of Manhattan. You think you can stay awake for that long?"

"The virus will see me through, sir. Good luck." He saluted.

I snapped a salute back and rushed back up the elevator with a dozen more syringes of the cure.

* * *

It took me an hour to clear out Madison Square Garden, but once I claimed the Hive core and consumed it, the job became much easier. I injected my cure into myself and let the core duplicate it and spread it to every infected in the area.

Within the next hour, Madison Square Garden was once again held by Blackwatch soldiers. This time, I made sure they were capable of using Blacklight to its full power so they could not fall under Greene's control again.

The important people, though, eluded me. They were most definitely under Greene's direct control and therefore beyond my reach at the moment. Their minds were still connected with mine, though.

* * *

_**Cross? Nathan? Hunter? PARIAH? Anyone there? I made a cure for Greene's mind control.**_

_Alex! Finally! She's trying to make us give her another child._

_**Where the hell are you guys? I have the cure to break you of her control.**_

_We're... I think we're in the World Trade Center site. I'm not sure if I don't go near something I can read. Mercer... Don't worry about us. Take care of your troops first. We'll survive anything Greene throws at us, but I'm not sure the other guys can do the same._

_**Alright, Cross. Hopefully all of this will end well. I'm currently staying at GENTEK, but the Garden is under my control and has the antivirus integrated into it.**_

_I'll try to escape Greene and get to the Garden or GENTEK so I can get cured, Doctor._

_I will attempt the same, and I am sure all of us here will try. Be prepared, though, ZEUS. Greene might send her subordinates after you if you try to cure us._

_**I'm ready for that, Hunter. Hang in there. I'll be bringing the cereal and the cure.**_

_Right. Cereal. Really, Alex?_

_**It's worth a try. If the Hunter says it's what she hates, it's probably something she hates with a vengeance. And all of a sudden, I remember I liked Shredded Wheat from before Penn Station.**_

_Hey, join the club, Mercer. It was my favorite at Area 51, but that's only because that's the only somewhat nutritious food that lasts longer than six months. That stuff is literally indestructible._

_Unless you step on it the wrong way, Robert. Believe me, I know, I ate 39 years' worth of the stuff. If anyone is sick of Shredded Wheat, I am. But the reason Area 51 has it is because it is one of the few things we can actually stockpile. Greene probably hates it because Hope had mountains of the stuff too.

* * *

_

A group of a hundred soldiers greeted me as I made my way back to GENTEK's basement labs. They all had their guns and waved as I approached them.

A few of them started to yell. "Hey, Alex! Good to see you're still in one piece!" "That cure thing really worked! I can't even feel Greene's control over me anymore!" "I wanna frickin' vacation! Get me outta here!"

I headed back to the labs, where there were now a dozen soldiers manning the machines and refilling solutions when needed. I looked for the soldier I had left in charge. He was asleep in a corner, snoozing lightly. I stuck a tendril into his shoulder and gave him a bit of biomass while being really careful not to wake him up.

* * *

Greene was in the city, and all I needed to do was rip her Hives out from underneath her. She had no other source of strength except killing individual Blackwatch soldiers and absorbing their biomass, and even that was no longer a problem because of my anti-Greene cure.

I just needed to find her again and give her the fatal shot. Blackwatch under Greene's control had almost killed me once, and I intended on returning the favor. Greene didn't deserve a quick, painless death. I wanted her to suffer for everything she ever put anyone through.

I had long considered forgiveness as a possible end result of all of this, but as it happens, I already forgave Blackwatch and won their hearts over. Greene though, I could not forgive. She had to go. She had to pay. I wouldn't have cared any more if she were blind, deaf, and dumb.

* * *

_Harsh, Alex._

_**It's true, Nathan. Anyways, I've already freed up quite a few soldiers. But I need something from you guys as well: either some extra time to free some more soldiers, or Greene's head served on a platter.**_

_Meaning? I imagine you do not want us to decapitate her, but I see no other possible meaning._

_**I mean, Hunter, that you guys need to keep Greene distracted or you need to get Greene to go somewhere vulnerable.**_

_We could probably do both, Mercer._

_**Then do it. Keep me posted, Cross.

* * *

**_

There was still something nagging at me. I was sure the soldiers I had cured were really free of Greene and wouldn't be quite as easy to take down, now that they had my strain of Blacklight, but I was still unwilling to rely on them. On their own, they might not do what I needed them to do.

I attributed my uneasiness to my past and tried as best as I could to let it go. There were more pressing matters, and I couldn't be indecisive as a leader. I needed to be sure of things and decide the best course.

* * *

I was sure things wouldn't play out perfectly, but I was sure I would survive. Blackwatch, with or without me, would survive. Nathan and the others were resilient enough. They would survive as well. I had given Nathan and the others not to nuke them, and I didn't want to go back on my word. Greene was probably radiation-resistant anyways, and nuking the infected-controlled areas of Manhattan would not do much to stop her.

I had already asked the soldiers what the best direction was, but they couldn't come up with an acceptable direction besides "frontal assault" and "nuke the living fuck out of 'em".

I decided to vent my rage by taking another Hive, this time one closer to GENTEK and therefore more threatening to the anti-Greene cure operation the soldiers were running.

It wouldn't be long before I destroyed every Hive in the city at the rate I was going. I was angry. I was hungry. I had allowed bloodlust to take over my instincts and better judgment.

I remembered the one time I piloted a helicopter and destroyed every Hive on the island before any could regenerate. This was not that time.

I was too far away from the Hive if I simply rained down missiles on it. I could not take its core and rip out Greene's support columns from under her if I simply destroyed it. I needed to control it. I needed to not only take away Greene's strength but add the stolen strength to my own.

* * *

_Dude, Alex. Chill. You're not invincible. You can be killed, just like the rest of us._

Nathan's comment snapped me out of the methodical bloodbath I was creating in front of another Hive in Midtown. I let my instincts handle the rest of the fight and subsequent Hive takeover, and then sat down and let the Hive Mind engulf me in its myriad voices.

_Mercer. You're letting your emotions get in the way. Clear your head. Think._

_**I know! Godfuckingdamnit, Cross, I know what I'm doing. Just a leisurely stroll in Manhattan while killing everything that gets within twenty feet of me.

* * *

**_

I finished the business of taking the Hive and sat down on the ground as soldiers arrived to maintain possession of the Hive against the infected coming from nearby Hives.

I left Midtown and headed back to the Lower East Side. The first time Dana came to see me in Manhattan, before I locked her out of my life for months, she forced me to walk with her along the waterfront. She had a camera with her and was taking pictures of the Brooklyn skyline from a distance while she talked and talked about her new job.

Back then I didn't care what she was saying. I was trying to make a breakthrough at GENTEK then, and talking about which Starbucks in Chinatown to go to wasn't particularly productive. My body was on autopilot while my mind was designing proteins. If I remember correctly, I was working on reshaping the viral envelope so that it was able to deliver its then-RNA payload more efficiently.

* * *

I worried about Dana. Where was she? She hadn't been in Area 51, and the GENTEK building had no signs of her except a toppled stretcher and a dented bucket.

I had asked PARIAH about it earlier, but his reply was "She wasn't sent to Area 51, so I have no idea."

And where were the civilians? I expected at least a dozen, but there wasn't even one. When I asked the soldiers where they were, they didn't know.

Dana was nowhere to be found. The upper reaches of the GENTEK building hadn't been claimed by the infection when I returned, and the lower portions were clear once I took the nearby Hive's core.

Something told me Dana was alive but not well. With the current circumstances in Manhattan, "not well" meant very, very sick.

[/24]

A/N: Okay, I'll admit it... I ripped a bunch of ideas off of other people's fics.

That part about Greene hating Shredded Wheat? (Don't sue me, Post.) Stole the idea from Mittens.

Bringing Cross back? Ripped off a whole bunch of fics there.

Alex getting on Blackwatch's good side? (at least for a while) Taken from a fic of which the name I can't remember at the moment.

Yup, I stole ideas from other people. Don't sue me.

* * *

Post-Release A/N: Was it a delightful Christmas? Sound off, people.

I think I've developed to a good point here... Far enough to launch into the final story arc. Stay tuned! I'll try to finish soon!


	25. Angels of Glass

A/N: I wrote Ch25-28 a while ago, so the A/N's might be totally outdated.

[25]

I was able to find Greene's hideout rather quickly. A few trips combing the city for her lair was fruitful when I was attacked by an army of Leader Hunters in Hell's Kitchen. I was close.

A few doses of the cure were safely tucked away in my jacket, which I tucked away in favor of wearing the Blackwatch uniform. A few soldiers asked to join me in putting Greene down. I couldn't turn them away.

_**Alright, everyone. I'm heading in.**_

_How many doses do you have with you, Alex?_

_**I added the cure to my virus. I just need to pump a little bit of my biomass into you guys and it should work.**_

_Thanks, ZEUS._

_**Just doing what needs to be done. Have you gotten Greene exposed?**_

_Yes. Be careful, Mercer._

_**I intend on using cereal to its full capability.

* * *

**_

I decided to lay siege to Greene's position. She would have to use biomass to continue defending herself, and under a continuous onslaught of artillery, she wouldn't be able to regenerate her lost biomass.

I put Blackwatch's strongest non-nuclear weapons to work. A salvo of thermobaric shells, followed by several waves of Javelins, broke a hole through the outermost wall of Greene's protective shell.

The Hunters remaining under Greene's control came out, only to meet with the Bloodtox machines refitted to spread my cure.

Greene must have realized that her Hunters were not making any progress against the Bloodtox machines after three waves. The Hunters stopped coming, and instead the hole in the outer wall began to close.

I readied my tendrils. While Greene was trying to regenerate her defense, she was vulnerable.

I struck and eliminated her outer-most defensive wall. After more missiles, the debris was cleared away and her next layer of defense was exposed. She had biomass dug into the concrete around the outer perimeter, preventing me from getting close. But I had ways.

Nathan and the others had no idea that I still had access to their abilities. They had no idea they had access to each other's abilities. But knowledge is shared over the Hive Mind. Without training, even the soldiers could modify each other's memories, even mind-control each other.

It was something I intended on keeping a secret as long as I could. Who knows what would happen if it became known that any soldier in Blackwatch could manipulate any other soldier in Blackwatch? Someone would get the brilliant idea of controlling me, and then Blackwatch would fall into anarchy.

* * *

The soldiers were pleasantly surprised when I made my way under Greene's second layer of defense and cut my way back out. No thermobaric tanks needed this time. I could tell Greene was prepared for the worst, though.

Inside her second layer she had an entire army of Hunters, all connected to the Hive and being drained of their biomass to fuel Greene's regeneration. I freed as many as I could and pumped my cure-laden biomass into Greene's system to weaken her.

* * *

It worked. The Hive collapsed soon, and my cure made its way into every Hunter Greene controlled in the area. Greene's soldiers became my soldiers again.

Nathan and the others were not there, though. Greene had stolen away through the subways when she realized she couldn't hold out against me. I knew they wouldn't get killed very easily, but I had to be careful. Greene probably had no idea what sort of ability they each had, but there was still the possibility.

* * *

With Blackwatch's ranks swelling and Greene retreating, the soldiers decided to celebrate a little. There were a few Marines who decided to join in as well. No one complained. The Marines were, after all, marooned on a hostile island, stuck with a contingent of fanatic soldiers bent on a singularly ignorant goal, and survivors of the whole ordeal.

I offered them a place in Blackwatch. They accepted. No one was surprised.

The cereal did end up getting used. Several men volunteered to descend into the subways and distribute the Shredded Wheat to prevent Greene from returning to Manhattan. Even the rats, already infected, would avoid the Shredded Wheat as a side effect of the infection.

A victory... for now.

* * *

I slept soundly across the next week. I was tired, but physical exhaustion wasn't the reason. Mental exhaustion was.

I wasn't suffering from the head-splitting migraines buried memories brought with them as they resurfaced, but I still wasn't comfortable. Aspirin, for all of its medicinal capabilities, had no effect.

I moved to the Garden and took some biomass from the stores there. It didn't help much with my headache. I was genuinely worried, and Blacklight was refusing to cooperate. I couldn't get myself to calm down.

* * *

I knew I was a killer. I had to kill something to calm down, and yet when I killed, Blacklight would only thirst for more blood. I could only stop when I was drowning in blood, and that time would never come. Blacklight would hungrily slurp up any spilled blood around me and convert it to biomass.

Blacklight stirred up trouble. It didn't solve trouble. I had to fix the problems it created on my own.

* * *

A few days after the soldiers partied, a very mangled Hunter collapsed outside GENTEK. It was quickly injected with a dose of the cure and shipped off to the Garden to recover.

I was working on an airborne virus in the labs when the news came. Nathan was back. Good news, but he was alone. There weren't any other Hunters with him.

He was still weak from loss of biomass when I arrived to see him at the Garden. A few soldiers were keeping him company while he lay there in a semi-conscious state.

"He's too weak to talk, sir."

I brushed the soldier aside and shot out a tendril. Once it attached, I pushed a thought across.

_**Nathan? Can you hear me?**_

The response was somewhat weak, but it was definitely him.

_Alex? ...Good. I thought I was... well, you know._

_**Blacklight won't let you die that easily. It won't let anyone die easily except its victims.**_

_Well... Alex, what do you want?_

_**Info. I need to know what the fuck happened. Down to the last detail.**_

_Okay..._

_**And take it slow. I still get headaches from vivid memories.

* * *

**_

A short series of images flashed, and I felt a headache coming on. Nathan must have realized it, though, and the pictures slowed down.

_The Greene we're hunting. Another decoy. As for how we were all taken off-guard... "Greene" planted a sleeper inside a sealed room within each Hive. When that room was opened, the sleeper made its way out and turned everyone connected to the Hive. As for the fake Greene, her identity is already connected to this whole issue. I think you'll have a good time guessing who it is._

_**It can't be Karen. I already killed her. Ragland?**_

_No. As far as I know, Ragland got off the island safely. Months ago._

_**Then... Dana?**_

_Bingo._

_**I am going to kill Greene when I find her.**_

_No nukes, remember? Cap'n and the crew are still out there in Brooklyn._

_**So you were being held in Brooklyn?**_

_Almost in Queens. There aren't any defenses there. Should deploy some out there really soon. "Greene" is still trying to extend her reach._

_**They'll be on their way soon enough. Take a rest, Nathan. I think I'll need you soon.**_

_I can't rest until everyone's back to normal, Alex. Everything will be alright, right?_

I hesitated for a moment. I didn't know the answer. I wasn't the type to say "Yes" blindly, either. At the same time, I couldn't say "No" without a ripple effect spreading through Blackwatch.

_**Depends on how well we do, Nathan. I hope it turns out fine.

* * *

**_

"Sir?"

I looked up from my work. "Just Alex is fine. I don't deserve any special treatment."

"Sir, we've found her."

"What?" The soldier was interrupting a productive brainstorming session.

"We've found her."

"Found who?"

"You know."

"Know what?"

"Greene."

"I never put out an order to search for her."

"But you were thinking of finding her, sir."

"How would you know I was that?"  
"You're throwing all of your thoughts on the Hive Mind, where all of us have to listen to it. Same happens with our dreams: all of us are in each other's dreams."

"Should I be worried?"

"We could mind-control you..."

"Okay, I'm worried."

"Sir, as far as we care, we just don't want you broadcasting your thoughts constantly. It gets distracting when we're keeping watch. I don't think anyone wants to take you out afterwards. Just stop putting your thoughts on the Hive Mind unless you need to."

"I'll try. No guarantees."

"Thanks, sir."

"Alex."

"...Alex. Anyways, we know the 'Greene' in Brooklyn is a decoy. We all heard your discussion with the corporal."

"Great. My private moments aren't private anymore."

"None of ours ever were after we joined Blackwatch. It's just even less private now."

"About Dana, then. Information on what she's attempting in Brooklyn?"

"Not enough yet. The information comes in slowly, but there's a bunch of us just sitting in the Garden analyzing what the guys out there are seeing."

"I'll come and visit. Thanks for telling me."

The soldier saluted. "Sir!" He turned around and left before I could correct him.

I pushed out a message across the Hive Mind: _**Alex! Not "sir"!**_

A few laughs resounded back across the Hive Mind. I cut my thoughts off from the Hive Mind but kept an ear open.

* * *

After a week or so, Nathan was close to normal. We were sparring with each other when the news finally came: Dana was making a move.

"She's moving north, Alex. Probably should cut her off before she gets far enough." Nathan motioned towards the door. I didn't acknowledge my agreement. "So, are you going to fly the helicopter or do you want me to do it?"

"I'll fly it, Nathan."

It was just the two of us and a few soldiers in the back. Just one helicopter.

Once we got over Brooklyn, things went downhill. Dana had obviously prepared for us. There was a forest of Hydras down below, and no object on the ground was spared a short flight through the air.

All I could do was fly higher. The Javelins were for later. It wasn't time to use them yet.

Dana was definitely heading north, Resistance from the Hydras got stiffer as I flew the helicopter north. The Hydras were eventually reduced to throwing lamp posts and postal drop boxes after they ran out of cars to throw.

The rest of Blackwatch was already moving to block Dana from the north. In the distance I saw the small swarm of helicopters already dropping off their loads and returning to Manhattan to pick up more.

Dana had one direction left to run, and that was out of the question. There were few places for her to hide on Long Island, and she knew it. She had lived in New York long enough to know. She needed a place with people, and since she was cut off, it was game over. All we had to do was finish up the job.

* * *

She was cornered. I expected her to put up a fight until the end. There was little else she could do. She wasn't strong enough to suppress the virus beneath her will, unlike us.

It was time. Time to finish what I had started almost a year ago.

[/25]

A/N: Okay, I found a video that says [P2] is coming out in 2012. Assuming it's not a hoax, this story is definitely not canon now. Oh well.


	26. A Taste of Armageddon

A/N: Nope, no note... just read.

[26]

Night fell quickly and the cold set in. I landed the helicopter on top of a small hill close to the border between Brooklyn and Queens to watch.

The boom of thermobaric shells came first from the west, followed by the sound of rifle fire from the east. Dana was trying to keep the soldiers from helping each other.

"Ready, Nathan?"

"Sure. Tell me what to do, Alex."

I held out my hand. Nathan put his hand on mine and drove his tendrils into my back. He pulled slightly and turned into a lump of biomass on the back of my shoulder.

_About good enough for you?_

_**Yes. It's time to go headhunting.

* * *

**_

Cross, Hunter, and PARIAH were still out there, likely forced to lead the unending stream of Hunters and Walkers pouring down the streets to break through our defenses. We just had to wait. Dana would eventually risk losing them in a wave of Hunters and all we had to do was hold out until that wave started.

The soldiers weren't using their normal weapons. They were using flamethrowers retooled to spray a stream of the cure. The Bloodtox blowers were simply too vulnerable to merit their use against Dana's attacks, and there was no other easy way to distribute the cure quickly.

Nathan and I had decided it was better to put my virus into the mix as well. There was a chance that some of the infected were never exposed to my virus and would die if Dana's virus was eradicated from their bodies. A good number of the soldiers agreed when I asked over the Hive Mind.

* * *

After almost four hours of non-stop attacks, I noticed a large bulk moving down the street in the distance. Dana.

_**That's her.**_

_I'll trust your instincts on this one, Alex._

_**We're going.**_

_I've been waiting here the entire time for you to say that. Give me something to kill.

* * *

_

She was just a few blocks away from where I landed the helicopter. The shape she decided to take was oddly similar to the shape Greene's decoy took just before I killed her in Times Square.

Nathan's biomass flowed into my hand and formed a long blade. A shield formed in my other hand when I flexed it slightly. I paused for a moment before I let my instincts take over.

Dana wasn't really much of a sister anymore. There was more Greene in her than there was Dana.

With that, my instincts took over and propelled me down the hill.

* * *

Something struck me as odd while I was making potholes in the street with every footstep. Wouldn't Dana have sent Cross and Hunter and PARIAH out before risking herself? Greene didn't risk herself at Times Square before sending Hunters and Leaders to try and take out the Bloodtox pumper beforehand. From Cross's memories, I knew that an entire generation of the infected revolved around the whims and wants of the Runner. Yet Dana was exposing herself now, before any apparent deployment of Cross, Hunter, or PARIAH.

_I'm uncomfortable about this, too. But we need to focus on Dana. She's a bigger problem than the Captain right now._

I silently agreed. As usual, Nathan was thinking things through while I let my emotions and instincts run wild.

_Damn right, Alex. I'm not worried about the Captain or the Hunter. They'll manage.

* * *

_

A minute or so after descending the hill, Dana's bulk was oozing forwards in front of me.

Either she hadn't spotted me or she didn't care anymore.

_**I need something long and very pointy right about now, Nathan.**_

_Coming right up, Alex._

The blade form I had stowed on my back changed into a pike. I flipped it over my shoulder and examined it. Nine feet of rigid biomass with a square point formed on the end. Just long enough to penetrate Dana's shell and pierce the center.

I wasted no time getting onto Dana's back and driving the pike into the top. I felt a shudder ripple through her mass, but she kept moving forward.

_**Take some of her mass away, Nathan. That should get her angry.**_

I felt Nathan's form growing heavier, then slightly lighter as he shared his gained biomass with me.

Dana's shape shrank. She clearly had less control over the virus than Greene did. But she was angry. Her movements became violent and spastic as she tried to throw me off.

Nathan held firm and continued to filter biomass through to me. I shifted my grip on Nathan's shaft lower and drove his point further in.

I didn't like getting thrown around by a multi-ton blob of flesh. With Nathan and me both capable of increasing the density of our biomass, we didn't grow much in size while Dana's size shrank. Her movements were progressively less and less severe, as if she was getting tired.

* * *

After a few minutes of trying to throw us off, Dana finally gave up and ejected herself from the blob.

Nathan and I spent another thirty seconds draining its remaining mass. Afterwards I launched myself towards Dana.

She clearly wasn't in control of the virus. I delivered a hard kick to her back and used my tendrils to toss her away from the soldiers already busy with her minions.

_This is too easy, Alex._

_**If you're suggesting this Dana is a decoy and I should be looking somewhere else, I'm aware of that possibility.**_

_It's way too easy, Alex. It can't be the real one._

_**Then let's finish her off and move on.

* * *

**_

Nathan was already changing his form into another weapon. A scythe.

I examined it and spun it around a few times before burying its edge into the fake Dana. No blood came out, only a bit of soft biomass. Dana simply fell over, apparently unconscious.

I stared at the injured body. Nathan returned to his human form and put his hand on my shoulder.

"What now, Alex?"

I brushed his hand off and tried to bring myself to take Dana's biomass. The virus refused to go to work.

It was the first time I had to wrestle with the virus about taking in more biomass. No matter how hard I pushed, it didn't want to create the tendrils that would greedily drain any other creature of living biomass.

There was something wrong with me. Blacklight was a ravenous monster that clawed at my consciousness for nourishment. It wanted to grow and develop. Normally I let it run its course after defeating a Hunter or a Walker, but this time something was different.

Did Blacklight suddenly become sentient? Did it recognize that Dana was the biological sister of the host it resided in? Did it even care about anything other than growth and evolution?

_Dunno, Alex. I'll take the biomass if your virus doesn't want to._

Over the Hive Mind, I felt Nathan trying to push his biomass into action. It, too, refused. Something was wrong. Blacklight never refused a meal. Even the most vile and revolting people were fair game.

There was no particular physiological reason for Blacklight to reject Dana. In fact, it would be advantageous for Blacklight to consume and adapt Greene's viral DNA into something useful.

What was it?

* * *

After a few minutes, Nathan and I were able to move Dana's body back to the helicopter while resisting Blacklight's impulses. I sent them off with orders to keep Dana subdued if she awoke, and to get her to a lab to see the extent of Greene's damage.

Nathan and I stayed behind to look around for Cross and Hunter and PARIAH. They were probably wandering around and looking for us.

It took a few hours for the fighting to die down. A few soldiers lay silently suffering the pain of their wounds as Nathan and I made our way along the Brooklyn-Queens border. Others were clearly healing, black-and-red tendrils wildly flailing around and reconnecting torn sinew and broken bone, while they were clearly unconscious from physical trauma from fighting a more powerful adversary.

A few soldiers had clearly done well. No scratches. A spotless uniform, a direct result of Blacklight's greedy appetite for blood. These few were caring for the injured, exactly as they should have been. I wanted things a certain way, but I had never pushed those thoughts to the Hive Mind. The soldiers were teaming up and using Blacklight's abilities to a level I had never taught them. Was Blacklight smarter than it seemed to be? Was there a way to know for sure?

* * *

Nathan and I decided to split up and search for Cross and Hunter and PARIAH. After an hour of heading northwest along the Brooklyn-Queens border, I came across a large Hunter that just roared at me.

_Mercer, it's me. Give me the goddamned fix already._

I shook my head.

_**I need something for my trouble...**_

_What the hell could I give you right now? A belly rub and a pat on the head? Last time I checked you're not a domestic animal._

_**Play dead, Cross.**_

On cue, Cross's body collapsed onto the ground.

_**So I guess I can make followers do things.**_

_To hell with you, Mercer. Give me the cure. I know it's in your pocket._

I gestured to all of the pockets on the Blackwatch uniform I was wearing.

_**Which one?**_

Cross was getting annoyed from what I could tell.

_Just give it to me._

_**I'm not carrying the cure in a needle, if that's what you're thinking.**_

I summoned tendrils and grappled Cross's body while they went to work. When they were attached, I drew a bit of biomass back from Cross, then pushed my own into Cross to eradicate Greene's virus.

After a period of apparently painful convulsions, Cross's Hunter-like form shrank, and a scowling Cross stood up, glaring at me.

"Remind me not to push you around, Mercer. You seem to like sarcasm quite a bit."

"It's one of my talents. I consider lying and thievery to be my other talents."

Cross gave me a hug. I tried to struggle against his embrace, but Blacklight forced my body to calm down.

"I still like you, Mercer. We need to have a rematch sometime."

"I think Blacklight's rebelling against me."

Cross let go of his stifling bear hug.

"It's not killing you."

"That isn't an improvement, Cross."

"Where's Nate?"

"Looking for the others. You know where they are?"

"No. We were split up after Dana started moving."

I motioned for Cross to follow me. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Battery Park. Nathan can find the others by himself."

* * *

We started heading back to the helicopter. About halfway there, Cross suddenly collapsed. He seemed to be in pain, so I opened a link over the Hive Mind.

Cross's pain told me that he wasn't in good condition. I drove my tendrils into his body and overloaded his senses to knock him out.

I carried his limp body the rest of the way back to the bridge, where Nathan was already waiting for me with Hunter and PARIAH.

* * *

"Help me out here."

The three of them helped me get Cross onto the ground softly.

"Any idea what's going on, Alex?"

"No." I shook my head.

"ZEUS, I remember Dana was able to bear some sort of offspring, but she put it inside Cross and forced his body to become dependent on it."

"You mean I need to kill Cross and bring him back to life... again?"

PARIAH frowned. "Well, Doctor, if that is the sure way of doing it, we have no choice, do we?"

"No. I can't leave, though. I need to make sure any clues we might have to lead to Greene aren't lost."

"Then go and do it, Alex. We know enough about Blacklight to help Cross get back to normal."

Hunter put his hand on PARIAH's shoulder and reformed into armor. With Nathan's help, PARIAH managed to get Cross secured to his back, and they all set off across the bridge. I watched until they had disappeared out of sight before turning around and heading back towards Queens. There were quite a few Hydras left to clean up after.

[/26]

A/N: Eh. No note to speak of here.


	27. Decameron

A/N: Tying up some loose ends and pulling the punches on a few of my ongoing jokes.

[27]

The Hydras weren't under Dana's control anymore and didn't attack me when I got close.

I decided to go underground in search of the core controlling the Hydras. If I was able to take that, then I could move all of that biomass back to the Garden, where the soldiers could absorb it before packing up to go back to Area 51.

I just had to find it, and the way Dana got into this situation might become clear. How did she break out of GENTEK under security and from inside a nearly impenetrable box? How did she take control of the disorganized infected?

The best question: What was she now? Had she become a Runner? A twisted disciple of Greene's?

* * *

Blacklight refused to let Dana die, so killing Dana was out of the question.

Running tests and tests on her made little sense. The last time she had anything changed about her was when she was kidnapped by the Hunter under decoy-Greene's orders. Ragland had kindly left a thumb drive with Dana's test data on his desk in his now-abandoned clinic with a note saying he was uncomfortable with remaining in Manhattan and had sought refuge with Blackwatch in Battery Park.

When I examined the readings, I knew Dana's virus wasn't the same as the Hunter's. Using Ragland's abandoned equipment, I ran the tests on an isolated copy of decoy-Greene's virus.

The readings weren't the same. I thought previously that decoy-Greene had infected Dana with a significantly different virus, but the readings proved my prediction wrong. There was too much that was different: the viral envelope, the significantly different polymerase, even the surface proteins. They were entirely different, too radically different to be even distantly related to decoy-Greene's virus.

* * *

I had to pin down Greene and beat the answers out of her. It was the only way I could learn the whole story behind Blackwatch. I already had a large portion of Blackwatch's history as I had learned from PARIAH's memories, but I didn't know anything during the gap between Hope, Idaho and PARIAH's directorship.

And all of it was in line with what I wanted.

Shortly after my rebirth in the morgue at GENTEK, I swore to make those responsible for my monstrous transformation pay for their actions. Now just a year later, I had killed or forgiven everyone... but one. Greene was the last empty box on my checklist. I intended on determining her fate soon enough.

To do that, I had to find her, wherever she was now. Part of the information I wanted would probably come from probing Dana's memories, which I intended on asking the Hunter to do, and physical proof in the form of the shapes Dana's virus could take. For that, I would need the labs, but such information would tell me where Greene had gone before and where I was likely to find her again.

* * *

Using infected vision, I was able to track traces of Dana's biomass all the way back to her central Hive. When I reached the core, I consumed it and began to skim through the memories of the infected Dana had created.

* * *

Dana was within the core, urging it forwards through the subway tunnels. The infected blindly followed the putrid stench of decaying biomass as Dana left Manhattan and entered Brooklyn. Another breach of Blackwatch quarantine.

But they couldn't be blamed. Only hours ago the few soldiers supposed to keep the subways beyond Manhattan infection-free were removed from their posts under PARIAH's orders. Greene had a hand in all of it, but Dana did not know of this. She only knew that her path was open because her Mother had opened all the right doors for her to pass through. She just had to destroy her enemies on the other side.

All the right doors were open, and all the wrong ones were closed. Mother had made it clear to Dana what the intention was. Infect and spread. Leave no survivors but those under your banner.

At first Dana's actions were successful. No enemies in sight.

None, until her "dear brother" returned to Manhattan and started to act against her. The trap Dana had planted in her largest hive in Manhattan grew quickly into a quickly spreading canker, yet it could not touch the leader of her enemies. Alex.

Alex, who alone, created a counter-virus that could, and would, destroy her. She had to wipe every last trace of that virus off the face of the planet, or she would not survive to watch her Mother's plan overwhelm the enemies they faced. There was something in Dana that told her to extend a hand to Alex, to offer him a place at Mother's side, but a firm hand on her shoulder told her it was impossible. Impossible, at least, without a counter-virus to Alex's strain.

Yet that strain was deadly to Mother and Dana. It was entirely incompatible: far more vicious in its virulently infectious and symbiotic nature. Mother and Dana's strains were impossible to reconcile with the intruder. PARIAH might stand a chance, but he was too valuable to lose.

Mother and Dana could not stand against Alex without a traitor in his midst. Yet there was no way to plant one except by sacrificing someone important, and the only important one left under their power was PARIAH.

* * *

Eventually, Mother made the decision. She told PARIAH to put himself up for adoption, and to remember that there was no power born from nothing. He owed her much more than his position as a leader, a tyrant, and a juggernaut.

He was Death. The Horseman on the pale horse, entirely unconquerable. Or so they thought.

When he fell to Alex's blade, Mother despaired. And thousands of miles away, Dana shuddered. Mother despairing! How was this possible? Mother's plans had never gone awry, yet Alex had turned PARIAH to his side with a ruthless wrenching of his blade-arm, ripping PARIAH's heart away from Mother.

PARIAH was no longer useful. He was an asset in the hands of either side, but one of larger magnitude allied with Alex than at Mother's side. It was a loss, of course, but Mother reassured that she had worried her way through the plans before. It was not the first time she had ever suffered a setback.

It was not the first time.

* * *

Dana resolved to make Mother proud. She would overrun New York City before Alex and his allies could defeat her, and then make her jump across the surrounding rivers and burst aboveground in every city across the nation. She would make her mark known, and with a bit of time, she would make the entire world Mother's. A proud child.

Mother had made her strong, stronger than PARIAH had ever been. Mother had spent hours and hours crafting the final changes to a new strain of Blacklight virus before passing its power to Dana. It was a gift that even PARIAH could not boast of. Careful. Calculated. Deliberate.

Yet Alex, the genius brother that Dana had once adored for his immediate success out of graduate school, was once again detested after his creation of the counter-virus. A single change, one that Dana could not effect within herself, made the capabilities of her strain entirely useless. Without the ability to communicate between cells, how could she even move? Resist the inevitable assault?

Dana began to experiment. She tried and tried, with the short bits of information she received from her thralls before they succumbed to Alex's "cure". She changed herself just slightly, an extra bend here and one less curl there, until she was satisfied.

She thought she was immune to Alex and could quickly pass on her immunity to her remaining thralls before they, too, fell to Alex.

But she was wrong. Alex had never targeted the hormones that precipitated Blacklight's power. If he had done so, it would have affected him as well. It was simply a side effect of a more sinister counter-virus. Dana never knew why her changes weren't effective until it was already too late.

* * *

Where Dana ejected herself from her protective cocoon was where the lucid memories ended. The remaining memories were jumbled and incoherent, and I didn't try to make sense of them. That was a job for the Hunter, when he had time.

I had proof enough. With the core of the Hive under my control, I ordered it to pack up and head back to Manhattan while I rode along.

I felt the biomass flowing around me until it condensed into a compact form. I ordered it aboveground, then forwards to Manhattan.

* * *

The soldiers keeping watch at the bridge let me through, and I quickly guided the biomass following me to the Garden. I merged it with the biomass stores already there and quickly felt the memories held within the dead flesh making up the biomass released into the Hive Mind.

I noticed a few soldiers already going to work on the memories, extracting important information and unscrambling the jumbled mess of memories at the end. They knew what I wanted from the hints that inevitably slipped through the mental wall I created between my mind and the Hive Mind everyone else shared.

I pushed a message of "Thank you" across the Hive Mind to those who were working busily on the memories.

There was no reply. I didn't expect one.

* * *

I was sitting on the edge of what was left over of the building where the safe house used to be, eating a TV dinner I forgot about, when Nathan landed next to me.

"Where the hell do we go from here, Alex?"

"Home. Wherever that might be."

"Well, Alex... your home is here in New York."

"Blackwatch blew my apartment up, Dana's place isn't the same as mine, and the safe house is..." I pointed down. "... not exactly in good shape."

"So you'd rather go live in a desert?"

"Do I have anywhere else to go, Nathan?"

"Hope?"

"No, but thanks for the offer."

"So you'll go there?"

"I was being sarcastic."

Nathan looked a bit disappointed. "...Oh."

I held up the TV dinner in my hand. "Want to have one?"

"Sounds good."

"See that open window with the curtains across the street?" I pointed towards the apartment I had taken the food from. "There's a fridge in there with some of the stuff in there. And it isn't expired yet. There's power in this neighborhood, so you can use the microwave."

"Thanks, Alex." Nathan pushed off the edge and made a clean dive through the open window.

**ZEUS, the captain is in much better condition now. I assume the corporal is with you?**

_**Yes. I'll be back at the Garden after I finish going through the rubble here with Nathan.**_

I neglected to mention I was stealing food from the building across the street.

**Uh, Doctor... You should probably hurry up. We're packing up our things here.**

_**I'll make it.

* * *

**_

Nathan returned and gave me a glare.

"You volunteered me for clean up?"

"No, I just wanted you to help me clean up this..." I pointed at the rubble I was sitting on. "... mess."

"Why clean it up? You know full well we can get what we need when we get back to Area 51."

"I mean there's stuff I can't get once we leave. A few memories."

"Then get Hunter over here."

"I mean things that might help me get the rest of my life back in order."

"Like...?"

"Something I can follow back to my childhood. I didn't walk out of that morgue a year ago with my past intact."

"And I'm assuming you haven't gotten it all back yet?"

"Just the painful bits, Nathan. The things I'd rather not remember."

"Your dad beating you up?"  
"I'd rather not remember, Nathan."

"My parents weren't around all the time, ya know."

"Same. Usually my father was drunk and my mother was working two jobs to keep up with his drinking habits." I didn't have particularly fond memories of either parent.

"I didn't tell you about my dad, did I?"

"What about him?"

"He's... dead."

"Wasn't my doing, was it?"

"Oh, hell no! He died on duty years ago."

"On duty?"

"He was Blackwatch as well. I learned about his work when I got in. Some stupid accident with him getting touched by Greene or something."

"So it runs in the family. Figures."

"Hey!"

I let out a sigh. "Are you going to help me get through this rubble or not?"

"Fine."

* * *

It took a few hours for us to move all the masonry and steel safely, but we eventually got through. Nathan decided in the end that pulverizing concrete with his hands wasn't as effective as he thought it was and let me wield him in the shape of a sledgehammer.

"Must be the ace up your sleeve, Nathan."  
_What do you mean?_

"I mean all the shapes you can take."

_Oh, that. I asked Cross to try it out while you weren't around, and he just couldn't do it. I guess you're right._

"I still don't know what I can do."

_You'll figure it out. Eventually. Something'll jump out at you as being rather odd, and then you'll realize that no one else can do it. Just wait for it, Alex. It's gotta be something useful. Blacklight might just surprise you with something important._

"I sure hope so, Nathan."

_Come on, you can swing me a lot harder than you've been doing._

In response to Nathan's comment, I bulked up my muscle mass and swung as hard as I could. I formed my armor over my face, just in case. A few large rocks flew in every direction, while a small dust cloud rose up and blew away in the slight breeze. When I looked down, the head of the sledgehammer I was holding was bent at a sharp angle.

_Ow.

* * *

_

Nathan and I managed to salvage a good number of the files Dana had collected while she had been searching for clues to GENTEK and Blackwatch.

"She's such an amateur. Pretty much all of this stuff is available over the internet. The only difficult part is finding the IP."

"Which she probably got from my laptop."

"Which isn't difficult."

"For you."

"For anyone. It's called Google."

"This is pointless."

"Now you realize the futility of your argument. Can we go home now, Alex?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Home?"

[/27]

A/N: I think it'll one more chapter from here.

I'll be leaving many interesting plot points open-ended. Things just end better and cleaner that way, ya know?

I don't intend on writing further into this, especially because [P2] is coming out in 2012 and I wanted to stay canon with the series.


	28. Wrecking the Sphere

A/N: Last chapter I'm planning to write. I may elaborate on the origins of Nate and Alex in one-shots, but that's only if people really want it and leave me some feedback. :-)  
Cookie if you can find and explain the chemistry joke I put in.

[28]

"In the desert. Area 51. Closest to home I know."

I ignored Nathan and cleared away another fallen piece of mortar and brick.

"Tell me something about where you used to live, Alex. As a kid."

"Somewhere I'd rather not return to."

"Your father still wielding a big stick and telling you to do your homework softly?"

"More like 'I'll kill him when I see him'."

"Ah. You hate him that much?"

I felt my vision growing red-tinged and my muscles tightening. Angry. I wanted to throttle Nathan all of a sudden, but I forced my angry self to stand down.

"I'd like to put him in a full nelson next time I see him. Either that or a stranglehold."

"Ever think of making a protein that decomposes alcohol?"

"Yes, we can light someone's insides on fire every day of the week."

"Then how the hell is Blackwatch going to stay around? Money doesn't fall from trees."

"... If you can convince the soldiers to help, I'll do it. It's not like I'm not busy going after Greene or anything."

"Sarcasm. One of your myriad talents." I glared at him. "Captain told me. He and PARIAH can handle the job of tracking down Greene, and Hunter can take care of Dana while we go and get your life in order."

"...Fine. I give." I put my hands up while Nathan mimed clicking handcuffs closed.

"Anything else you want to get out of this place?"

"I need to get my office at GENTEK cleared out."

"I'll get some people on it. I'm sure there's some guys at GENTEK right now that can pack your stuff while we're on our way. I can get your research data from the servers afterwards, so don't worry about it."

* * *

Blackwatch was finally leaving New York City. The Big Apple wasn't exactly in the same shape it was in before Penn Station, but after just over a year of "apocalypse", as it was termed by the very few survivors remaining, it was in better condition than it should have been in.

I didn't find myself in agreement. Even if I didn't regularly journey through the city's streets anymore, I knew things weren't like before. The few people that began to repopulate the city were silent. Business was quiet and at the same time disquieting. Everyone who had once made New York an important place in the world was gone, and no amount of work on my end could bring them back.

Nathan tapped me on the shoulder as I stared back at the once-prosperous city I had lived in for years.

"Let's go, Alex. We shouldn't stay."

The sun was rising, and what was left of Manhattan and Brooklyn was waking up. Blackwatch was leaving behind a destroyed city. I had half a mind to order Blackwatch to stay and help rebuild, but that wasn't the reason Blackwatch existed. Blackwatch existed to ensure no biological weapon could threaten the United States, and I was now its steward.

_**Everyone that's leaving New York City right now: I'm giving you a choice this time. You can choose to stay here and help the National Guard rebuild the city or go home. This isn't a vote, just line up next to the Port Authority building if you want to stay.

* * *

**_

I wasn't surprised to see the helicopters empty out quickly. The soldiers wanted to stay and help, even if it meant abandoning the search for Greene for a while.

"Nathan? I think we can afford to stay for a little longer."

* * *

Almost three years passed as the destroyed infrastructure of the city was gradually rebuilt. The National Guard stayed out of the subways until the lingering infection within was dealt with, but soon after it was clear, soldiers could be seen throughout the city operating the buses and taxis. Uniformed men swarmed all over the wrecks that were once home to Hives. Now devoid of infection, new buildings went up in their places, shiny glass-covered monoliths that rose sharply over the surrounding structures. The first signs of regrowth began to show, and people started to move in.

Cross's condition grew better after Hunter and PARIAH expertly removed Dana's intruding creation and transferred new biomass to help him recover. Cross was soon well enough to get out of bed and run a lap around Manhattan every morning. Even sooner, he talked me into helping him recover his combat ability by putting him through sparring sessions with me. Nathan willingly transformed himself and gave Cross a sword and shield to help him hold his own against my own shield and blade-arm. Within a month, he beat me for the first time.

* * *

But we couldn't stay in New York for too long. After New York was successfully rebuilt and once again on the rise, it was time to leave for good.

PARIAH told me when we left that a chapter in Blackwatch's history was ending, and a new one was beginning. I disagreed. A new chapter had started when I infiltrated Area 51, and it was still going. I did not want it to end badly.

* * *

After Blackwatch returned to Area 51, all of us started tracking movements and reports from all over the world in search of Greene. In the few years between decoy-Greene's demise and Blackwatch's return to Area 51, Greene could have gone anywhere. It didn't help that she could, unlike the Walkers and Hunters in Manhattan, cross water.

* * *

One day Nathan came to me and asked me a question. For some reason he was hearing the same voices that haunted me on a regular basis, and he thought it would be good to clear out some of those voices from my memory.

Hunter agreed to help me out, since apparently he had also been hearing the same voices.

* * *

But somehow the voices didn't go away, even when Hunter moved the stolen memories of the dead to the Hive Mind. It was something about me that caused those voices to remain attached to me.

I decided to research it. It didn't take long for me to realize that this was my own ability: I could preserve a person's personality perfectly, as long as I consumed that person.

Coupled with PARIAH's ability to revive the dead, Blackwatch gained a good number of people whose skills I could draw on.

* * *

Life in Area 51 got boring very quickly. I decided that I needed a vacation, and I wanted to share it with everyone.

So I let everyone off for two weeks. A few people volunteered to stay behind to make sure nothing got into the complex while we were gone, and in return I promised them an extra week of vacation.

* * *

But where could I go? My face had been plastered all over the news once Blackwatch had linked my name to "9/11 Redux", as it was popularly known, so it wasn't safe for me to go anywhere outside.

...Until Nathan reminded me that Blackwatch had only used pictures of me while I was fighting and not the pictures from GENTEK. They had lost all access to the GENTEK pictures when McMullen died. I probably wouldn't be recognized if I just kept my hood off.

* * *

I figured it was about time to get to know what I was trying to save from Greene. If I was going to throw myself into the job of finding her and killing her, I felt I should at least know what I was doing it all for.

The subsequent road trip the five of us took ended up being a good time. We laughed as "relief efforts" in New York City were turned away by proud residents who realized they were already able to reenter the global market. We argued and pushed around ideas to improve Blacklight while Cross drove our dangerously overloaded van erratically down the flat, straight roads of rural Texas.

And most importantly, Nathan and Cross (when he wasn't driving) convinced me to face my parents.

* * *

Other than the extended debates we had in the back of the van, we went to plenty of landmarks and saw a lot of who and what we were saving.

But I thought it was time to reveal some truth about what I had done in the past. It was already almost four years I had kept it hidden from everyone, and I thought they deserved to know.

* * *

We were watching the sunset on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Cross was talking with PARIAH while Nathan, the Hunter, and I were taking out some blankets to help with the cold weather. Cross and Nathan had gotten so used to the Blackwatch uniform, which didn't hold heat very well, and had forgotten to bring along the thermal layer to counter cold nights in Arizona.

I signaled to Nathan and the Hunter that it was time and took a transformation I had not taken in four years.

* * *

Cross turned around to a tap on his shoulder. He was surprised to see a supersoldier standing there with a pot of coffee and L-666 on the patch sewn on the utility pocket.

The supersoldier grabbed Cross and gave him a smothering embrace. Cross struggled, but didn't find any room to wiggle out of the hug.

The supersoldier let go after a long moment and set the pot of coffee down. Cross backed away a few steps before the supersoldier transformed... back into me.

"What the—" Cross was surprised to see me. "You... You—"

"What about me, Cross? How I fooled you for four years?"

"You fucking bastard! What the hell were you planning in the first place?"

Nathan and PARIAH came up and transformed into supersoldiers along with me.

"You... All of you were in on this?"

"Well, Cap'n, it was Alex's idea the whole time."  
"I deserve some kind of explanation for this, Mercer!"

"All in good fun, Cross. PARIAH... Tie this soldier up and strap him to the roof. I'll drive tonight."

PARIAH chuckled and took a length of rope out from his back pocket.

"What the hell are you doing? Mercer!" Cross struggled against PARIAH's grip, but failed to break free.

"A quick history quiz, Cross: What were the three things Thomas Jefferson mentioned as being rights of free people?"

Cross hesitated a moment and then answered. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  
"You ever think of that feeling you get when you consume something? That sense of elation and euphoria?"

"...No, not particularly, Mercer."

"That's happiness for us. We exist to kill things."

"So..."

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of biomass. We're going after Greene, after all."

"What the hell does this have to do with tying me to the roof of the fucking van?"

"I want to find out if I can be happy without killing things."

"And? Mercer, you're being very secretive about something."

"No, I'm not. I just want to know if I'll laugh when you scream, going down the highway at 75 miles an hour. And you're going to be wearing only that uniform."

Cross had a look of stark terror on his face as we piled him into the back of the van, cut his civilian clothes off, and strapped him to the roof wearing only his uniform.

[/28]

A/N: Fin.

Yes, it's vague. I know. I may write one-shot(s) if there's enough clamoring for clarification on things.  
Also, I know there's new info coming out from the hype for [P2], some of which was not very surprising and some which was very surprising.

Not surprising:

Redlight/Blacklight is a retrovirus.  
I changed Blacklight in mine to be dsDNA-based, but I kept Redlight as ssRNA-based, so 1 of 2 points.

Alex's father died and his mother spent much of Alex's childhood in jail.  
Got this one wrong. I gave Alex a drunken father and an over-extended mother incapable of spending time w/ Alex instead, but it gives a similar effect. 2 of 4 points total.

Surprising:

Alex injects Heller with Blacklight.  
Um... Yeah. Technically, the first chapter, where Nathan develops Blacklight, is very vague and could be interpreted in a similar direction, but I'm not going to elaborate on this one. 3 of 5 points total.  
Also, I wouldn't have given Heller my trump card in the first place. I would have administered first aid first and taken him home to get him somewhere safe before even contemplating giving him Blacklight. But what can I say? Humans (even superhuman mutated freakish ones) can be stupid.

Getting a 60% actually isn't bad, 'specially for something as random and speculative as this. I did well, didn't I?

To those who are following me:

My next project (WTS Part 1) will NOT be on FFnet because it's not strictly fanfiction. I've taken so many liberties that I'm willing to call it original, as there was little story to begin with and I've expanded it far beyond the original background story.

I may return to this account to write another fanfic after I've beaten [P2]. Or something like that. Another speculative one, most likely.

Well, I'm happy with the story as it is now. I WILL write one-shot(s) if I get some comments asking for clarification on certain things I didn't elaborate on. (like why Blacklight began to disobey Alex or Dana's fate at the end) It'll probably take a while for each one, though, seeing as I'm working on WTS and Nox rather heavily now.

Well then, until my next creation is finished. Nick signing off.

* * *

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man stupid and blind in the eyes." - spoken by Mazer Rackham, from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card


End file.
